Audit Finds County Doesn’t Give Enough Attention to Road Repairs
San Diego residents have struggled for many years with poor road conditions. The city hasn’t been focusing enough attention on road repairs and, as a result, many roads in the area continue be a source of frustration and danger to the drivers in the area.
The San Diego City Auditor’s Office recently released a report indicating San Diego streets are in dire need of better resource allocation and attention from local policymakers. The report cited poor contractor supervision, poor quality control from city engineers, and mismanagement of public funds, as the main reasons for the sharp decline in the quality of San Diego’s streets.
Infrastructure is Suffering
A 2015 San Diego resident survey showed that 59% of respondents were either “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the quality of the roads in the area. By 2012, more than half of the 3,000 miles of road in the San Diego area were in poor condition, the result of years of poorly managed public funding. One of the main points of the City Auditor’s Office report is that city engineers do not seem to exercise adequate quality control and supervision over contractors hired to perform road maintenance.
City Auditors also noticed that street repairs have increased over the last few years. In 2013, the city repaired 171 miles of road. In 2016, the city repaired 322 miles. The Auditor’s Office makes several suggestions to curb the increasing number of necessary road repairs, including more coordination and oversight from both the Public Works Department and the Storm Water Department, and studying the possible causes of this rapid road deterioration.
In 2016, 219 of the 322 repaved miles of San Diego road received slurry-seal coating instead of asphalt paving. Slurry-seal coating is more expensive than asphalt but lasts longer, so perhaps this change in materials will produce longer-lasting and more cost-effective results.
Potential for Liability
Everybody knows how irritating potholes can be, but they can also cause significant damage to vehicles and can even cause serious accidents or accidents. The city of San Diego should consider this audit as encouragement to reallocate more resources toward infrastructure and road quality. If poor road conditions cause an accident, the injured citizens can seek legal recourse by suing the responsible agency. Pothole accidents can easily lead to property damage, head and neck injuries, broken bones, and extensive recovery. Personal injury claims can often help injured drivers recover their medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage expenses from the organizations responsible for maintaining the road.
Any driver who suffers injury or damage due to poor road conditions should reach out to a reputable, experienced San Diego car accident attorney as soon as possible. Suing a government agency is much more complicated than filing a civil action against another private citizen, and acting quickly is absolutely crucial. While the statute of limitations for most liability claims is two years, some government agencies only allow a few months to file a claim. Additionally, plaintiffs must meet strict filing requirements with the court, and missing any of them can jeopardize a claim.