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Bureacracy of Street Repair

I’ve become an expert in “raised asphalt.” It’s the term the City of Los Angeles uses for big bumps in the road. I know this term because for 4 months, I’ve been actively trying to get the asphalt repaired on a stretch of road that I take almost every day. The bump was so high it sent shock waves through my body each time my car crossed over it. It took more than a dozen phone calls to 3 different entities, including a member of the City Council. What finally pushed me across the finish line was a plea to the Mayor’s office, where I was put in touch with the “Infrastructure Supervisor.” Once I reached her, the repair was made in 3 days. #GovernmentWorks

Print by Anthony Burrill

Discussion

4 comments for “Bureacracy of Street Repair”

  1. Claire says:

    That’s called being a good citizen. The roads are so bad in my state that only a sinkhole would get our attention. It was a massive political effort to pass a few more cent in gas tax and took multiple legislative sessions. We can’t have nice things. I’ve had my good experiences with government, usually the trash department with fixing or providing a roll cart. Those guys (and gals?) are on it.

  2. Petra says:

    kudos to you! Where I live, we have a pothole form and you can submit a complaint online. I’ve only done that twice. Not sure if I would’ve had the gumption you did to go through all of the offices and phone calls that you did. Color me highly impressed!

    • wendy says:

      L.A. has a very good online interface for complaints, which was where I went first. But it didn’t lead to any results. The “raised asphalt” had become a real quality of life issue for me, given that I’m on that road almost every day, and in that way, I was constantly reminded of it. And when it comes to bureaucracy, persistence usually pays off.

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