i am writing to again complain about these potholes that have been present for years but now are completely ridiculous

We had to spend $1,000 on a car repair due to a pothole creating a hole in our oil tank.

Thank you for acknowledging, PWD. While I can appreciate the boiler plate response form containing budget shortfall information, it is difficult for me to be too sympathetic, while as an Oakland Forestland homeowner, we have the highest property taxes in Alameda County, and the entire State of CA, for that matter. Secondly, since Oakland has so graciously adopted Montclair Village for the purpose of handing out $85 parking tickets like candy, every day, to our local residents, allow me to introduce the idea of using some of this windfall of income to fund basic pavement safety and livable streets for our path home. I'm also a motorcycle rider, and the deep potholes with associated loose chucks of asphalt create some real thrills as you slip and slide down the mountain...

The City's acknowledgement is appropriate fiscal responsibility while not resolving the Thorndale difficulty, which has become a dangerous hazard. Bottom line is we are a small group of Thorndale users, largely local residences, swamped among the City's backlog complaints and needs. It is fair speculation that the Public Works Dept. is frustrated, along with us, regarding their funding. Perhaps it is appropriate for us to create a special district to fund the road maintenance and associated maintenance on Thorndale and Elverton Dr (also in need of annual attention). We need not accept Oakland's political mismanagement but we can create some control over our neighborhood's appearance.

Thorndale Ave does not have much traffic. However, the potholes have now become so large and so numerous that to avoid them cars are forced into the oncoming traffic lane on blind curves. It is difficult to imagine a more dangerous situation. We think that since this goes beyond simple damage to automobiles and puts residents at physical risk it might command a certain priority on your repair schedule.

Ledaniels - Yes, we have the same goals & objectives. Thorndale Dr. pavement needs to be maintained for safe passage. The automated "ticket report" system doesn't seem to be effective at getting the public works dept (PWD) attention, and I admire your ideas for suggesting that we do something more, to get attention. However, suggesting us to voluntarily implement a new Mello Roo district and another lifetime tax for basic street repair (like we've already done for adequate fire protection), isn't the way to go. It's not even a last resort. We shouldn't be so quick to accept defeat from the Cities fiscal troubles to concede they can't or won't help us, and just let them off the hook to their core, fundamental responsibility. The point that I made above about claiming the wealth of our neighborhood for property taxes, parking tickets, gas taxes, and sales tax revenue trumps the argument entirely. They can't have it both ways... If they're willing to accept our tax money & fine revenue (let's face it, this is 10:1 ratio in Montclair Village vs. "the hood"), then we're owed some basic City municipal services in return. Yes, that means fire protection, police patrols, and street maintenance. We're not asking special favors here, like widening the most dangerous passes to two-lane roads. The discussion has been limited to basic asphalt repair, pothole abatement, and slurry seal. If our messages, requests, and demands are not making it across via the web portal, there's much more we can do collectively. Letter writing to the City Manager, local press support, and ongoing public forum complaining at the City Council meeting I feel is a much more effective and realistic step prior to asking all of us neighbors to "pass the hat", and set up a new special tax district (so we can pay triple, instead of double), which will never go away.

The street on which we live has not been resurfaced as long as we have lived here, over 16 years. This year, a 5 MPH drive up this street, the only entrance to my garage, caused over $2500 worth of damage to the bottom of my car. Oakland is really good at excuses, stories of backlogs, yet, NOTHING gets done.

I wonder, can we pay to fix these holes ourselves and then deduct them from our property taxes? We should!

City of Oakland Public Works Department addressed this issue on 07/15/2014, service request # 481822.