To the editor:
There have been many reports about the poor condition of Indianapolis roads now that winter is finally wrapping up. However, it’s not just Indianapolis. Interstates and highways in and around Indianapolis, which are under the jurisdiction of the Indiana Department of Transportation, are just as bad. Hitting a pothole at 45 miles per hour or faster can be devastating. I can think of at least five people off the top of my head who have required tire repairs due to hitting potholes in and around Indianapolis city streets and highways. I recently had to as well.
I report as many potholes as I can be using the Indianapolis Mayor’s Action Center RequestIndy app, but the INDOT website simply has a web form to fill out. There’s no way to check the progress of your report or find out if INDOT is doing anything about it, other than to wait and see if the pothole you reported is going to get fixed.
Most people I know who submitted Tort claims to the city and/or state were denied. The pothole problem and the turtle-paced actions of INDOT are being paid for by us residents in the form of car repairs. I would much rather pay a few hundred dollars more in my taxes a year to cover the cost of maintaining our roads. That at least would be an expected expense that wouldn’t disable my car.
Most of us don’t want increased taxes, but paying in taxes instead of worrying about hitting a pothole, missing work to call a tow truck to pay for car repairs that you may not have budgeted for, and missing pay for missing work for hitting the pothole … the rabbit hole just goes deeper and deeper. Let’s transfer the cost and lessen our risk.
Tony Dale
Indianapolis
