Free Republic

t was not one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most prominent roles, but is proving to be disproportionately controversial. The Hollywood star and former California governor filmed himself filling in a troublesome pothole near his Los Angeles home, proffering it as an act of civic responsibility by an exasperated resident. But he was then told by the authorities it wasn’t officially a pothole at all. According to city officials, the “giant pothole” Schwarzenegger and a friend packed with quick-drying cement and topped with sand was actually an essential service trench for work being performed by a utility company in the Brentwood neighborhood....

Midwestern states dominate the Top List for states with worst potholes, with Indiana, Michigan and Ohio also ranking high. Drivers in Illinois pay the second highest gas tax in the country. Despite that, Illinois is near the top of the list for the states with the worst pothole problem. A study by QuoteWizard says Illinois is the 7th worst state for potholes. Midwestern states dominate the top ten with Indiana, Michigan and Ohio also making an appearance. Researcher Nick VinZant said pothole damage costs U.S. drivers $3 billion a year with the average cost for repairs around $300. “But you...

A man fed up with a private road in poor condition near his southwest Florida business has a novel solution: plant a banana tree in a pothole to warn motorists away. Last week, Bryan Raymond planted the tree in a stubborn pothole along Honda Drive just off U.S. 41 in south Fort Myers. Raymond, who owns Progress and Pride Fitness Group, said the idea of planting a banana tree ripened in his mind after having to fill holes in the street with cement multiple times. Because Honda Drive is a private street, county officials said, it’s up to the business...

It’s about control, it’s always been about control.Business owners, after months of seeking information from the Governor about specific metrics for reopening their businesses and the economy, finally get this: Gov. Whitmer unveils plan to tie Michigan vaccination rates to easing COVID-19 rulesWhitmer outlined four steps to gradually ease restrictions: Two weeks after 4.5 million Michiganders have received their first vaccine dose (55% of the eligible population), the state will lift requirements that employers mandate employees work remotely where feasible. Two weeks after 4.9 million Michiganders have received their first vaccine dose (60% of the eligible population), the state will...

Not many people would complain about a 60-degree day in February. But this winter’s temperature spikes could mean even earlier exposure to one of spring’s downsides: potholes. Tech gurus can’t stop the weather conditions that cause asphalt to weaken and crack — eventually opening up gaping holes large enough to swallow a Goodyear tire or mess up a Jeep’s alignment. But armed with smartphones, algorithms and self-healing asphalt, they’re trying to make road maintenance a little more manageable. While some are experimenting with high-tech ways to fill the pothole once it pops up — like using a 3D printer and...

Dozens of drivers have filed tort claims seeking money from the state of Indiana after their cars were damaged while driving on a 15-mile, pothole-afflicted section of Interstate 69. The problematic stretch of highway extends between mile markers 219 in Pendleton and 234 in Daleville, The Star Press reported. Forty claimants are pursuing damages for repairs to brake calipers and rotors; rims and wheels; tires; improper wheel alignment; suspension way bars and other vehicle parts.

A 12-year-old boy in Michigan has decided he's not going to wait for officials to fill the large potholes dotting a street near his home and is instead getting his hands dirty and filling the craters himself. Monte Scott starting filling potholes last week using a shovel and dirt from his backyard in Muskegon Heights after he grew fed up with the state of neighborhood roads. “I didn't want people messing up their cars like my mom did,” he told WZZM-TV. “If somebody were to drive down the street and hit a pothole, and then would have to pay like...

This feels like something from a William Gibson cyberpunk dystopia novel, where the government has become so weak and useless, private corporations have been taking over the basic upkeep of the nation. But it’s not a William Gibson novel, there’s no plucky protagonist with some sort of cybernetic implant, it’s just America in 2018, with crumbling roads that Domino’s has decided to fix. For the sake of the pizzas. Domino’s is tired of their innocent pizzas, who only wish to serve humankind, being beaten all to hell by poorly-maintained roads. They even have a website that shows, in graphic, pizza-box-cam...

Domino's announced it is partnering with U.S. cities to fill potholes and stamp them with the company's logo to avoid letting "bad potholes ruin good pizza." The pizzeria chain, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., announced it is partnering with cities across the country to repair potholes and is seeking recommendations from customers for more cities. Domino's said the "Paving for Pizza" campaign is already under way in Athens, Ga.; Bartonville, Tex.; Burbank, Calif.; and Milford, Del. "Potholes, cracks and bumps in the road can cause irreversible damage to your pizza during the drive home from Domino's," the pizzeria said in...

Domino’s Pizza is hitting the streets to help “smooth the ride home” for deliveries by making pothole and road repairs in towns customers have nominated online.The “Paving for Pizza” initiative will fill “cracks, bumps, potholes and other road conditions [that] can put good pizzas at risk after they leave the store,” the press release said. "We know that feeling is heightened when you're bringing home a carryout order from your local Domino's store. We don't want to lose any great-tasting pizza to a pothole, ruining a wonderful meal," said Russell Weiner, president of Domino's USA. "Domino's cares too much about...

California officials are hoping their latest attempt to stem the rising tides of climate change leads to a more socially conscious -- and cooler -- summer. Officials in Los Angeles have been painting streets white to reduce the effect of urban "heat islands" and combat the effects of climate change. The LA Street Services began rolling out the project last May, which preliminary testing shows has reduced the temperature of roadways by up to 10 degrees. The project involves applying a light gray coating of the product CoolSeal, made by the company GuardTop. "CoolSeal is applied like conventional sealcoats to...

Just as construction crews were putting the finishing touches on Interstate 22 this week, rumors began to circulate that the road's completion may set off a chain of events that could destroy humanity and bring civilization to it's knees. According to a Wikipedia article created last night, Interstate 22, formerly known as "Corridor X" and "Ye Olden Highway," is considered to be North America's very first construction project. Native American documents dating back to 800 AD show plans to clear a path from Memphis to Birmingham, giving Midwestern tribes of 19-22 year-olds the quickest route to destroying Alabama's pristine beaches...

Oklahoma drivers know a thing or two about potholes, but one Mississippi man got so fed up with the nuisance that he decided to get the city’s attention in a unique way. “After 14 calls to 311, I thought it was time to do something different,” said Eddie Prosser. Prosser says a huge pothole in the middle of his residential street has been a nightmare for drivers. Prosser told WJTV that the pothole appeared about 16 months ago, which caused two smaller potholes to form about a year ago. When his calls for help went unanswered, Prosser decided to throw...

Those ubiquitous black holes that bend wheel rims, flatten tires and cause vehicle alignments to go out of whack seem to be appearing out of nowhere. “Potholes are indiscriminate,” said Charles Metzger, PennDOT’s community relations coordinator. “They pop up wherever they feel like.” Late winter into early spring is prime pothole season. The days are getting warmer, causing any accumulated snow to melt and water to run into cracks in the roadway. At night, when the temperature drops, the water freezes and pushes up and out, creating a depression in the asphalt. “Traffic drives over it and that’s how a...

A Saint John, N.B. man has reached local hero status after a blown tire led to a blowout with the city because the auto body shop owner decided to fix potholes on his street, only to be told to undo the work or face a fine. Three weeks ago, Mike Defazio blew out a tire after hitting a foot-deep pothole on Broadway Avenue at Simpson Drive, where he owns an auto body shop. The next day, while working outside his shop, he watched a hearse try to navigate around the pothole on the way to a funeral and the 60-year-old...

Even before resident Allen Moe got socked with a ticket for trying to avoid hitting potholes, I had already renamed a badly pockmarked section of Shannon Parkway in Rosemount "Moon Crater Boulevard." Now, I'm sure many Twin Cities motorists have done similar nomenclature revisions, given the plethora of potholes from this past winter of woe. I hear Wheelock Parkway in St. Paul is now called Wheeloff Parkway. A motorist was seriously injured recently when his airbags deployed after he inadvertently hit a large pothole. Auto shops are overbooked with suspension, tire and alignment repairs. So I was taken aback by...

... 'He described a program called "Street Bump" in Boston that detected pot-holes using sensors in smartphones of citizens who had downloaded an app. The program inadvertently directed repair crews to wealthier neighborhoods, where people were more likely to carry smartphones and download the app.' ...

During the last twenty years, roads and bridges have taken a back seat to commuter and light rail projects. This was never clearer than in a 2010 report by the Metropolitan Council titled, “Regional 2030 Transportation Policy Plan,” which virtually gives up on constructing any new vehicle lanes in the seven-county metropolitan area. Instead, the plan places heavy emphasis on rail projects. The population of the metropolitan area is about 3.3 million. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are only about 20 percent of that. In other words, most people live and work outside of the two cities. So why is there...

Jonathan Kealing was on his way to the dog groomer Sunday morning when his car hit a line of potholes on eastbound Minnesota 62 in Minneapolis. "We hit some normal potholes, then it got so intense. We slammed into this chasm in the Earth," Kealing said. It wasn't until a stop later in the morning that he saw just how intense: The rim was no longer round, but flat, and the tire couldn't hold air. After getting a $500 repair bill from the auto shop, Kealing took to Twitter to alert the Minnesota Department of Transportation to the situation. "Dear...