Chicago 'Pothole Season' Better Than Expected

By Prescott Carlson in News on Apr 12, 2010 9:40PM

One thing we don't love about the Chicago spring warm up is the emergence of thousands of potholes. But fortunately, despite that crater you hit that sent your car's wheel cover careening off to the curb on your way to work this morning, the Tribune is reporting that according to the Chicago Department of Transportation, only 900 open potholes called in through the 311 non-emergency hotline are left to be repaired after the city took care of 225,000 potholes between December 1, 2008 and April 1 of this year.

That number is approximately 125,000 less than the previous winter, something that Chicago Acting Transportation Commissioner Thomas Powers tells the Trib is directly because of two things: a milder winter this year with "fewer freeze-and-thaw cycles," and 31 miles of street resurfacing Chicago completed last year with the help of federal stimulus funds. An additional 40 miles of resurfacing is scheduled to take place this year. Powers was quoted as saying the resurfacing "generally lasts seven to 12 years."

The milder "pothole season" comes at a good time as the city is strapped for cash. Not only does CDOT obviously save money on materials used, fewer and less severe potholes likely lead to fewer vehicle damage claims to the City Clerk. Currently, the city will reimburse drivers half of the cost of repair -- up to $2,000 -- for vehicles damaged by a pothole, provided drivers are willing to jump through a few hoops like filing a police report and providing proper documentation such as the exact location of the pothole (the city will verify its existence) and two repair estimates.