SAN DIEGO — If you’ve driven San Diego streets, then you’ve likely had to dodge your fair share of potholes out there, especially this year, with all the rain wreaking havoc on our roadways. CBS 8 is working for you to find out how the city is faring on road repairs.
“This winter and this spring have given us the opportunity to do something that I wish I didn’t have to do, which is to educate the public on the general physics of laying down asphalt,” said Mayor Todd Gloria at a press conference Wednesday.
An unusually high amount of rain this year has contributed to an excessively high amount of potholes. With more than 19,000 pothole requests on the Get it Done app so far in 2023, the number has already surpassed last year’s total of about 15,000.
“Sometimes I’m asked, ‘Mayor, do you know how the roads are?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, I do. I drive all over the City.’ I use the Get it Done app to report potholes that I see and I hope that San Diegans do the same,” said Mayor Gloria.
To catch up on the backlog, San Diego’s Transportation Department has had nine trucks and crews working overtime to fill thousands of potholes across the city, and they’re making progress.
In La Jolla Wednesday, Mayor Gloria talked about his proposed budget for FY2024, highlighting a repaving project currently underway on La Jolla Parkway. His proposal allocates $140 million dollars for street repair, allowing them to resurface 157 miles of city streets
“We’re going to do it on schedule, on time, and we’re going to do it right,” said District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava. “Nothing’s going to be rushed about this because this is a major investment, we want it to last for decades.”
Right now, the City is conducting a full assessment of all roads using the “ARAN” vehicle, which stands for “Automated Road Analyzer,” which will collect data on nearly 3,000 miles of roadway. The results will be completed by this Fall and will help them prioritize which roads to resurface in the years ahead.
“Not where we’re just laying down a coat for the existing asphalt, but we’re ripping it out and putting it down fresh and new,” said Mayor Gloria. “That’s the difference between a good road lasting a couple of years and a good road lasting a couple of decades.”
Here at CBS 8, we’ve compiled all the resources you need to report potholes or request street repairs no matter where you live in the county. Just text the word POTHOLE to 858-571-888, and you’ll receive the link.