Potholes Everywhere Have Drivers Feel Like They're 'Off Roading' Across The Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The snow and ice this winter along with seesaw temperatures are starting to take a toll on our roads.
Many are showing serious signs of wear and tear.
Whether it feels like off-roading on the FDR, or crashing into craters along River Road in West New York, or witnessing others swerving to avoid the big dips in Scarsdale, CBS2's Vanessa Murdock drove the Mobile Weather Lab around the Tri-State Area, and asked taxi drivers to sound off.
"I think my car is going to pieces," said Sonia Blackstock of Central Taxi in Scarsdale.
"This is the worst pothole season that I can remember in a long time," said taxi driver Federico Terzano.
"How do you describe the ride?" Murdock asked.
"Very bumpy," he said.
"Bumpy and lumpy," said Donna Albanese, a dispatcher for Central Taxi.
Albanese says she fell into a hole getting onto the Bronx River Parkway.
"They're horrible," she said. "I was just thinking today, how are they going to fix them because there are so many of them?"
Robert Berg says just last week while walking his dogs Rocket and Violet, he stepped on a pothole precursor - a crack.
"Fell down on my face and smashed my nose," Berg said. "Potholes are a catastrophe this year.
Murdock caught up with Hernane de Almeida, deputy commissioner of public works for Westchester County. He says this past week has been bad for potholes, and you can blame the weather.
"We've had several days below freezing consistently day and night, and that gives the ice the chance to lens, and get deeper and deeper into the ground and pop that loose asphalt," de Almeida said.
Right now, crews work daily to patch potholes temporarily. Permanent fixes come in spring.
Shelly Jacobson just got an email from her state assemblyman.
"We should all get on dial 1-800-POTHOLE," she said. "Haven't used it yet, but it's tempting."
Murdock did try it. She reached 311 in New York City.
Murdock also reached out to the New Jersey Department of Transportation who shared crews repaired 20,500 potholes on interstate and state highways since January 1.
