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Potholes Report & Get Rid Of Em!

Written by Boston Biker on Mar 16

The City needs out help to solve the pothole problem.  From the BostonBikes site.

March in Boston means the Red Sox at spring training, joggers on the Charles, and potholes in our streets. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has directed the Public Works Department to begin its annual push to fill the potholes created by the cold, snowy winter. This year, he’s adding a twist. He’s asking residents to “SpotHoles,” to find potholes and report them to the city. Public Works crews will be on the streets daily, finding and filling these craters but this year we are also seeking resident engagement to help us identify problem spots.“Boston’s residents deserve a smooth ride,” said Mayor Menino. “Our city works best when everyone works together. With residents help we can identify and repair potholes more quickly than if Public Works did it alone. We encourage residents to report potholes using our Citizens Connect app, calling the Mayor’s Hotline, or even tweeting @NotifyBoston with the hashtag #spotholes.”The Public Works Department fills over 19,000 potholes annually, but we’re convinced there is more to do.The public can monitor the City’s progress here, where we’ll feature a tally of potholes filled during this two week campaign, a map of all open and closed pothole cases, and other related content. Constituents can alert the City to potholes through Boston’s suite of reporting tools. The options include calling the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500 with the address of the pothole; submitting a photo with the Citizens Connect app which automatically locates the pothole; filing a request online at www.cityofboston.gov/mayor/24/ and reporting the pothole on Twitter by tweeting @NotifyBoston with the hashtag #spotholes.“Filling potholes is our most important task each spring. Our inspectors and patch crews work extraordinarily hard to repair our roads. Citizen reports aid our efforts tremendously, allowing us to fill potholes more quickly,” said Joanne Massaro, Commissioner of Public Works, on her department’s preparations for the SpotHoles campaign.

March in Boston means the Red Sox at spring training, joggers on the Charles, and potholes in our streets. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has directed the Public Works Department to begin its annual push to fill the potholes created by the cold, snowy winter. This year, he’s adding a twist. He’s asking residents to “SpotHoles,” to find potholes and report them to the city. Public Works crews will be on the streets daily, finding and filling these craters but this year the Public Works is also seeking help from the public to identify trouble spots. Boston Bikes knows that cyclists often spend a lot of time looking at the road, closely, in a way different than cars and are more dangerously impacted by potholes.

“Boston’s residents deserve a smooth ride,” said Mayor Menino. “Our city works best when everyone works together. With residents help we can identify and repair potholes more quickly than if Public Works did it alone. We encourage residents to report potholes using our Citizens Connect app, calling the Mayor’s Hotline, or even tweeting @NotifyBoston with the hashtag #spotholes.”

The Public Works Department fills over 19,000 potholes annually, but we’re convinced there is more to do.

The public can monitor the City’s progress here, where a tally of potholes filled during the two week campaign will be featured, as well as a map of all open and closed pothole cases, and other related content. Constituents can alert the City to potholes through Boston’s suite of reporting tools. The options include calling the Mayor’s Hotline at 617–635-4500 with the address of the pothole; submitting a photo with the Citizens Connect app which automatically locates the pothole; filing a request online atwww.cityofboston.gov/mayor/24/ and reporting the pothole on Twitter by tweeting @NotifyBoston with the hashtag #spotholes.

Fellow cyclists, help us make the roads better and safer for you, and report any potholes you see!


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Science And Cycling: The Pothole

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 10

As you probably have noticed there seem to be a lot of new potholes around. Potholes might be the wrong term, is there a word that means “giant wheel swallowing death traps filled with ice cold salt water?” Pothells?

I nearly ended up like the guy above yesterday as a brand new pit had sprung forth on a street that had been bereft of them the day before. I was able to swerve and avoid the front wheel and bunny hop the back wheel over it, in the most ungraceful way possible.

So where do all these monsters come from? And why do they seem to appear so suddenly? That my friend is a job for science!

To understand potholes you have to understand water. Most things shrink when they get cold, and expand when they get warm. Water is one of the few things that actually gets bigger as it gets colder. The reason for this is the way in which water molecules link up as they become ice.

The next thing you have to understand is that the road surface is not a single sold object. It feels pretty solid when you fall off your bike onto it, but its actually very porous. Black top is made of gravel and tar, concrete is comprised of gravel and cement. The road has lots of little spaces for water to soak into.

The road and everything else that is embedded into it, (utility covers, grates, train tracks, etc), shrink and expand as they heat and cool. Just to make it complicated they all expand and shrink at different rates, opening even more holes for water to soak into. Even things like white painted lines on the road can affect the rate at which things heat up and cool down.

The water soaks into tiny cracks in the road during the day when it is above freezing, at night when it cools down the water expands and pops open that hole a little more. The next day MORE water gets in there, when it freezes that hole gets bigger, repeat till your front wheel will fit into the hole. Metal objects only make this process faster, which is why you often see the worst potholes around utility hole covers and grates.

Just for good measure add a bunch of heavy vehicles driving over the surface and the smooth city streets are soon infested with a legion of evil potholes.

The recent spat of warm weather we had combined with the recent spat of extremely cold weather has caused a bumper crop of potholes. So many in fact that it seems every street now has one. Be vigilant riders, for a dark evil lurks below your wheels. Be sure to glance down once in a while to make sure a road once loyal is trustworthy still!


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See A Problem, Report A Problem, Fix A Problem

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 24

I got an email about this sweet tool called seeclickfix, and I liked it. Below is an embed map of Boston where you can report and keep track of problems with roads, potholes, lights, signs, all sorts of things. I have also put a version of this on the bike map page, so that the bostonbiker.org community can continue to keep track of problems.


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Potholes, Scurge Of The Biker, But Wait!

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 24

I recently discovered that potholes hate bikers, so much so that they will aid gravity in throwing you to the ground at the slightest provocation. (yes I am ok, and yes my shoulder hurts, thanks for caring).

Sometimes however the damage done by potholes is done to the precious bike, not the worthless meat puppet on top of it. What to do? Maybe you can submit a claim form to the city you live in? Tone over at BostonFixed has come up with some nice research, check it out.

Has anyone submitted a claim for damage to a bike or personal injury caused by a pothole?  If so, what did you have to do and how did it work out?  I’ve done a little research about filing claims in MA and it looks like some towns will give you $$ for damages, but you’re SOL on state roads.  Tight times right now and there no reason you shouldn’t get reimbursed for damage caused by crappy roads.  Cagers do it, so why not us?

Mass. law on potholes

Info on DCR maintained roads and paths

City of Boston claim info/form

Somerville claim form (pdf)

Anyone got the links to other towns procedures/forms – Cambridge, Brookline?

I have no idea if this will work, but it is worth a shot. Let me know if you have any experience with this sort of thing.


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Open Thread-I Have Become Pothole, Destroy Of Worlds.

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 02

Let me know where the killer pot holes are. Post the closest location you can, almost took a header into one today might be good to spread the word.

I will start:

Watch out for a killer on the Mass Ave bridge heading into Cambridge, also school street in Somerville (going up hill towards Somerville Ave).

Tremont street in front of the commons will often buckle up into waves, which are worse than potholes in some ways, so will Mass Ave in Central square.

You have been warned, not you do the warning.


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Posted in bostonbiker | 3 Comments »

The Word On The Street

  • RSS Here is what people are saying

    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
      ... Continue reading →
      commonwheels
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
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      commonwheels
    • Hello world! June 9, 2021
      Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Continue reading →
      thecommunityspoke
    • Run The Jewels Lead Free Pewter Hand Carved And Cast Pin Set January 3, 2021
      Made these lovely RTJ fist and gun pin set. Hand carved in wax, and then cast in lead free pewter.  Because these are made by hand you can do fun things like add an extra small pin so that they sit just so (also means they have “customized” brass back plates to accommodate the extra […]
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    • My Work In The Wild: Feather Head Badge With Chris King Headset January 3, 2021
      One of my customers sent me this amazing picture of my feather badge installed on their (awesome!) bike.   Check out Manofmultnomah (here and here), apparently Chris King took some interest in it as well.  Want one of your own?  Buy it here, or here... Continue reading →
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    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg