I recently talked to Jonathan Gano, public works director for Des Moines, and he confirmed for me that this Spring has been one of the worst pothole "seasons" ever in the Capitol City. His department is fielding THOUSANDS of calls with complaints.
I asked him how he prioritizes those thousands of calls. He says the city gets to the potholes on the most travelled routes first.
That makes sense. But it can be frustrating if you are on a less travelled route and are waiting.
Ever think - "I'll just do it myself?!"
A 12-year-old Michigan boy is tired of waiting for lawmakers to fix the roads and he's taking it upon himself.
Monte Scott is using dirt from his yard to fill in the holes on a street near his home in Muskegon Heights. He says he was inspired to take action after his mom's car suffered several hundred dollars in damage from a pothole. So far, he's filled in about 15 potholes and wants to finish the rest of his street.
His mom Trinell Scott says “He just took it upon himself to [fix the road]. That’s just the type of kid he is. When he sees there’s a problem or a need, and he thinks he can fix it, he’ll try to fix it.” How did she find out about it? A video was posted to Facebook and her niece texted Trinell about it.
The city and county haven’t responded to the media about the story.
I am not sure if dirt is going to be a permanent fix but if it keeps the neighborhood cars in alignment, who would complain?