INDIANAPOLIS -- The city of Indianapolis is fielding complaints from hundreds of homeowners about potholes in alleys.
Bob Shutt, a homeowner in the Garfield Park neighborhood, said he started contacting the city in April 2015 about the condition of his alley on Allen Avenue.
Shutt said the potholes were not only annoying, but also caused damage to vehicles.
Frustrated, he and a friend took video of themselves driving down the alley and Shutt sent the video to Call 6 Investigator Kara Kenney.
Kenney contacted the Indianapolis Department of Public Works on Thursday evening, and by Monday afternoon, the city restored the alley.
“The process involves grading the pavement, we smooth it down and there’s cold asphalt mixed in there as well,” said DPW spokesperson Jennifer Hashem.
Hashem said DPW did not take action as a result of Call 6 Investigates’ inquiries.
“We did have that project on the list,” said Hashem.
Hashem explained DPW summer is the time of year where they typically address alley requests such as potholes, high weeds and debris.
“We take care of primary thoroughfares first, and then secondary streets, and alleys are a third priority,” said Hashem. “We do that because primary and secondary routes are emergency routes and are most heavily traveled by commuters.”
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DPW currently has 1,057 alley service requests.
Since January 1, they have resolved 110 of those requests, including 79 requests for potholes and 18 alley repair work orders that required more than pothole patching.
In the same time period last year, January 1 – July 8, the city closed 27 alley pothole requests, Hashem said.
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Bob Shutt understands alleys aren’t as big of a priority as heavily traveled roads.
“The alleys are a safety issue as well, and it needs to be addressed,” said Shutt. “We’re taxpayers and we need our stuff fixed like everybody else.”
Shutt is thrilled with the smoother ride and thanked Call 6 Investigates for getting involved.
“I think you kind of helped out there and got it to happen,” said Shutt. “We finally got some action taken place this week. I am pretty happy about that.”
How To Get a Pothole Filled:
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Contact the Mayor’s Action Center by phone or app: http://maps.indy.gov/RequestIndy/
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Contact your city county councilor: http://www.indy.gov/egov/council/Pages/home.aspx
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Contact your neighborhood advocate: http://www.indy.gov/eGov/Mayor/getintouch/Neighborhood_Services/TA/Pages/home.aspx
