Today’s newsletter is presented by Evinco.
Hello, Navajo and College Area!
It’s the beginning of the rainy season, a winter that, if “Super El Niño” has its way, as forecasters say it will, could be a very wet winter for San Diegans.
It’s always striking to see how quickly the green unearths itself on nearby mountains, hillsides, canyons and open space.
It’s equally surprising to see how quickly the potholes return, as if they emerge from hibernation the second a drop of rain touches them…
In some locations, for me, Golfcrest Drive and Del Cerro Boulevard, all it takes is one rain for the ground to open up, for chunks of asphalt to break off.
I am no engineer, far from it. I don’t know the ins and outs of road repair, though; over my two decades as a journalist in San Diego, I’ve covered potholes and various mayors’ initiatives to address them (case in point: “Sexy Streets”).
I understand that in a terrain such as ours, the ground shifts, which could explain, for instance, the long fault line in the asphalt along Golfcrest, which, despite repaving projects, always seems to return.
Every month, I request payouts that the city makes to resolve legal claims. Every month there are dozens of payouts for damages from potholes.
According to recent city data, there are 406 open or referred pothole requests in neighborhoods throughout Navajo, Mission Valley and College Area. I have a strong feeling that there are far more, as the numbers are from requests submitted to the city for repair. As much as I cover potholes, as much as they are on my mind, I have yet to submit a request for repair.
As we move into what has the potential to be a very wet winter, I want to hear about your experiences with potholes. Which streets in your neighborhood have the most? Have you submitted requests and have those requests been answered?
Dorian Hargrove
Mission Times newsletter host
Navajo, College Area story spotlight
City and county crews prep popular hiking trails and open spaces ahead of El Niño
By Thaïs Giraudet • Times of San Diego
While coastal areas receive most of the attention regarding El Niño’s potential impacts, city and county staff are also preparing inland areas.
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