Potholes: Bellyache, Celebrate or Collaborate?

I was listening to an episode of The Unbelievable Truth that other day in which one of the "truths" regarded a small English town putting together a celebration for their oldest pothole, birthday cake and all. This struck me as both humorous and quintessentially British.

It also got me thinking about our own chronic and extreme pothole problem in Colorado Springs. Most of us have had years to develop and memorize preferable avoidance patterns on our main routes.

Some blame it on our weather, but Minnesota, Idaho, Montana and Wisconsin have equivalent or worse environmental conditions and all have better roads. Some claim lack of funds, but we have passed multiple road-repair taxes, with no improvement.

Potholes on Tejon St

Every time I drive lovely Tejon in The Old North End, the constant effort to avoid the 4-inch deep, tooth-chipping, rim-bending potholes, my "gripe" circuit is trigger... "what the heck is wrong with our system that we don't maintain decent roads"! Then my problem-solving instinct kicks in... "How can the problem be solved? Can homeowners and citizens step in when that system has failed? Can I get together with a few neighbors and share the cost of having a private company hot-patch these? Do we need to check with the local government, get permitting, et cetera?"

On a recent paint-buying trip to Bon Ace, I saw this Aquaphalt pamphlet, perfect... no special tools, already used by multiple DOTs and airports, and can be purchased and applied in small quantities.

I am going to review with some neighbors and mention to our HOA who already organizes sidewalk repairs and tree planting. This seems like a natural shoe-in.

Maybe you can do the same, and we can improve our neighborhoods pothole by pothole and shift back to enjoying the drive and keeping an eye out for wildlife and pedestrians rather than road hazards. I'll update our progress; please let me know of your solutions and successes!

References:

Aquaphalt: https://www.aquaphalt.com/

Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/home-improvement/blacktop-patch-is-ideal-for-diy-driveway-repair