Description

For several blocks from Elm St. to Congress Ave. there are stripes of newly refilled asphalt, where it looks like conduit or pipe work has been done and then covered.

There have always been fine cracks between the old and newly refilled asphalt. These cracks are slowly growing. The cracks are a few feet left of the parking lanes, exactly where cyclists are told to ride.

College St. in this area is rife with double-parking, so cars frequently change lanes. The potholes are still shallow, but they're wide enough to track a tire, which could easily knock cyclists underneath moving cars. It's especially dangerous when it rains because drivers rush and can't see well, and cyclists are more likely to slip.

A couple solutions:

1. When refilling partially cut asphalt, use something besides asphalt to seal the joints, or put a new, smooth top layer down over the entire span of the road.

2. Paint bike-share symbols along College St. in this area.

3. Designate a loading area and decrease metered parking time limits during frequent loading hours (I know, this would suck; I drive, too). This would reduce the amount of double-parking and thus chaotic driving.