The city of San Diego said on Tuesday that 60 patch crews with bagged asphalt have been repairing as many potholes as they possibly can.
"It is our job to help ensure smooth and reliable transit, whether that's biking to work or school, or driving to work and school," said Bethany Bezak, the city of San Diego's transportation director.
Potholes can make a drive rough, unpleasant and even damage your car, but, worse still, they pose a serious risk for one particular group of travelers: motorcyclists.
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"I ride motorcycles on the street,” Lawrance Newman said.
Like pretty much every driver in San Diego, Newman has encountered potholes that have caused trouble for him while riding.
"There was a period of time where there was a pothole that was roughly 24 inches in jagged diameter and deep enough to capture a third of the wheel, and you're at lean angle, so if you didn't know that it was there and you chose your line through the curve — it's possible that your line went over the pothole," Newman said.
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While Newman was able to maneuver around the pothole, he said it could have posed a real hazard for a less experienced rider.
"Since we've only got two wheels, if we lose traction of the front or the rear, or potentially both tires, the event of sliding out and potentially crashing becomes very real," Newman said.
Recent storms have delayed pothole repairs. As of Tuesday morning, the city had a backlog of 1,350 cases.
"It's really hard for us to fill the potholes when there’s water in the potholes," Bezak said. "We're not able to have the asphalt stick to the ground, we can't keep those potholes filled and ensure they don't pop up immediately after we fill them."
Meanwhile, Newman has safety tips for all riders who are likely to encounter a pothole at some point.
"Keep your head and eyes up, looking where you want to go," Newman said. "You can probably identify the hazard before it's an imminent danger and just simply change your path to go around it."
San Diego started a full condition assessment of the entire city in March that will continue through the summer. Those results are expected to come in by fall. Once the assessment is complete, the city will prioritize funding for the roads that are in the worst condition.
