DOT goes on pothole patrol on 86th Street

Treyger, Colton requested roadway repairs

May 6, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Bensonhurst drivers, your bumpy ride is coming to an end!

A pothole-ridden section of the busy 86th Street commercial thoroughfare in Bensonhurst will be fixed by the Department of Transportation (DOT), according to two local elected officials, who said the agency agreed to their request to repave the roadway.

Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island-Gravesend-Bensonhurst) and Assemblyman Bill Colton (D-Gravesend-Bensonhurst) said the DOT will repave 86th Street from 14th Avenue to Stillwell Avenue under a project starting this coming summer.

Treyger and Colton reached out to the DOT after recently inspecting the roadway and finding potholes deep enough to do some real damage to cars. Eighty-Sixth Street is one of the most heavily trafficked roadways in southern Brooklyn. The two lawmakers went out to the streets after hearing numerous complaints from constituents about the rough roadway.

Treyger also expressed concern that the craters presented a danger to pedestrians crossing 86th Street

“The current condition of 86th Street is clearly not acceptable and represents a real hazard to drivers and pedestrians, especially seniors and children. I am relieved that the Department of Transportation has heard the concerns that Assembly member Colton, the community and I have raised and agreed to repave it this summer,” Treyger said.

Treyger blamed the pothole problem on Mother Nature. “This winter was especially harsh on our roads, so I will continue to work with residents and the DOT to identify and repair the worst stretches,” he said.

“This has been an ongoing problem in the community for a long time, and people were very upset because it has created a dangerous situation for pedestrians and vehicles due to the potholes. I have been working with Council Member Treyger to get 86th Street repaved, so this is an example of the city and state working together to get things done that benefits our community,” Colton said.

When Treyger and Colton contacted DOT, they asked that 86th Street be given top priority in this year’s street resurfacing schedule.

According to the DOT, work will occur in three separate segments in August, covering the stretches from 14th Avenue to 18th Avenue, then 18th Avenue to Bay 29th Street, and finally, Bay 31st Street to Stillwell Avenue. The work will be done during nighttime hours to reduce the impact on residents and businesses, Colton said.

Eighty-Sixth Street isn’t the only Bensonhurst roadway in need of repairs, according to Treyger, who said he is also working with the DOT to identify other streets in critical need of repairs. He named Bay Parkway from 80th Street to 86th Street as an example.

Treyger encouraged residents to report any dangerous stretches of road or potholes to his office by calling 718-373-9673.

Potholes are also expensive, according to the New York Daily News, which reported in February on a study by TRIP, a non-profit transportation advocacy organization, which found that potholes and poor roadways are costing New York State $20.3 billion a year. The average cost to a New York City driver is $2,300, the TRIP report found.