Potholes

Posted at 1:30 PM on March 17, 2009 by Bob Collins (11 Comments)

I generally don't get too upset at potholes; they are what they are and they are a fact of life. This year, however, they seem particularly bad and each time I reset the curvature of my spine to and from work, I wonder to what extent they're particularly severe because of the difficult winter, and to what extent they're severe because municipal officials want me to scream, "Go ahead, raise my taxes! Just fix these potholes!"

If keeping our streets safe to walk on is widely recognized as an important duty of government, where does keeping them safe to drive on come in on the list?

But, to give the officials a break: Maybe they don't the potholes are out there.

Here's a few links you can use to help them out:

Report a pothole to MnDOT (state highways in the Twin Cities)
Report a pothole to St. Paul
Report a pothole to Minneapolis
Report a pothole to Hennepin County

In the meantime, we'll accept pictures as nominations for the meanest pothole in Minnesota. Use this form.

Alternately, you can report the location in the comments section below, and I'll go take a picture.

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Comments (11)

Thanks Bob! I never really knew one could report potholes to the city online....thought that it just took a cop car's axle to bend in order for that stuff to get noticed by the city. I'll watch for a slideshow of the 10 top worst in the metro.

Posted by Matt | March 17, 2009 2:29 PM

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This is the worst year in memory, but my workstation overlooks a busy intersection and the repair crews have been out repeatedly fixing holes.

In my neighborhood, at least, our problems stem from the tons of rerouted traffic in the year we went without an I-35 bridge. Traffic's subsided a bit but the truth is that this is a growing metro area that's been radically underfunded by a governor who's radically out of step with our needs.

Posted by Mark Gisleson | March 17, 2009 2:54 PM

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I reported the worst on my route home from work just the other day on the City of Mpls website. The problem I encountered is how do you say that an entire block feels like one is driving on the moon?

Posted by Doug | March 17, 2009 4:35 PM

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The potholes in Minneapolis/St Paul are mere divots compared to the ones in Des Plaines, Illinois. My daughter drives a VW Jetta and will look out her window and DOWN to see a driver in an SUV if that driver happens to have dropped into one of the chasms that line their streets. Count your blessings Minnesota!

Posted by Judy Krause | March 17, 2009 4:45 PM

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Years ago, Steve Cannon (ret. WCCO-AM) suggested using a can of white spray paint and put circles around pot holes so drivers could see them. Lets run with that until they are fixed.

Posted by kristy | March 17, 2009 7:44 PM

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Bob, MNDOT has a couple of trucks that appear to shoot patch material out a tube, which seems to be a vast improvement over the "two guys with shovels" method of pothole repair. Any chance of some investigative journalism into how technology has impacted our annual spring rite of wheel alignments?

I don't suppose private parking lots would count towards your "meanest pothole" award, but some retail establishments (I'm looking at you, Cub Foods/Home Depot on White Bear Ave/Hwy 36) also could use some quality time with hot tar and a steamroller...

Posted by Dan Prokosch | March 17, 2009 11:07 PM

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How big is it:
There's a pothole in one city in greater Minnesota where they have applied for state stimulus funds and processing an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) in order to pursue another waterfront development.

Posted by beryl k gullsgate | March 17, 2009 11:44 PM

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Can we count all of Hennepin Avenue from the Basilica/Dunwoody to Lake Street? It's like a war zone!

Posted by nowinvisibly | March 18, 2009 10:48 AM

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I beginning to wonder if Doug and I have been driving on the same road.
The worst potholes I have seen are on Broadway Ave NE in Minneapolis just west of Johnson and 35 W at the underpass below the railroad tracks. I have yet to figure out a way to maneuver through there without hitting at least 5 potholes. It's as if you've suddenly gone off road.

Posted by Jennifer B | March 18, 2009 12:15 PM

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Years ago, Steve Cannon (ret. WCCO-AM) suggested using a can of white spray paint and put circles around pot holes so drivers could see them. Lets run with that until they are fixed.

Posted by kristy | March 17, 2009 7:44 PM //

Good Idea!!!
can we take that one step further and spray paint the forehead of all state employees?

Posted by facepaintingformndot | March 18, 2009 1:45 PM

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My suv went out of control when I hit a large pothole causing $15,000 of damages...I'm sick to my stomach!!! American Family is apparently not going to cover it...?! My agent advised me to get legal counsel. Who should be responsible for the cost of fixing it????

Posted by Molly | March 10, 2010 3:51 PM

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