De Blasio Touts Efforts To Fix Potholes Across New York City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio says pothole-ravaged New York City streets are going to get a lot smoother.
De Blasio unveiled a rebuilt Brooklyn Department of Sanitation plant which will be able to churn out asphalt much more quickly than before. That will come in handy after a brutal winter that wreaked havoc on the city's roads.
"Everyone associated with this project found ways to save the taxpayers money, to get this done quicker so we have the asphalt quicker so we can do all the work we have to do with out roads," de Blasio said.
Since Jan. 1, the city has patched 338,000 potholes. That's more than twice the number fixed during the same period last year.
The city also has repaved 173 miles of streets this year. De Blasio noted that his budget contains $226 million to repave 1,000 lane miles of streets.
The money will also go to repairing 400,000 potholes and repaving streets badly damaged by the winter storms or Superstorm Sandy.
The new plant will also allow the city to increase its use of recycled asphalt by 50,000 tons.
"That will also save the taxpayers $5 million," said the mayor.
For more information about the DOT's work, visit www.nyc.gov/dot. Residents can also report any pothole conditions to The Daily Pothole or to 311.
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