Demanding Answers: Bronx Neighbors Say 311 Calls About Sinkhole Go Nowhere
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A pock in the pavement on a Bronx street has amounted to something between a nuisance and a nightmare.
Residents said they have tried calling for help, but dialing 311 gets them nowhere. CBS2's Steve Langford was demanding answers Tuesday.
"What are we waiting for?" said Grace Boscolo. "We don't want to wait until someone gets hurt."
The hole in the middle of the 2500 block of Young Avenue in the Baychester section of the Bronx has Boscolo and most of her neighbors calling the city over and over again.
But the hole that remains a hazard has been grating on their cars – and their nerves.
"This is an emergency, so what's going on?" Boscolo said. "How long does it take for them to process it?"
For an idea of the damage that this sinkhole has caused, there are ridges in the pavement showing where the undercarriages of the cars have gouged right into it.
"I mean, who's going to take care of this now?" said Dominic Agostino. "(Is) the (Department of Transportation) going to take care of this? (Is) the city going to take care of this?"
The hole measures, at its worst, about 9 inches deep from street level. And while most locals know to drive around it very carefully, there are endless stories about damage to their cars.
"My dad had to have one of the tires on this car fixed because of that," said Kathy Tortorella.
"I've called numerous times," said Michael Micalizzi.
A quick check of 311 online data showed at least 10 calls from the block to the city since the end of last year.
"It's a shame that the city has all this money, and nothing's being taken care of," Micalizzi said.
The city has paved over the hole at least once, according to neighbors. But the crater remains a danger.
"Get the city to get moving on this," Boscolo said.
CBS2 called the city and demanded answers. The Mayor's office and the Department of Environmental Protection said late Tuesday that the hole in the street is the result of two faulty sewer lines that must be fixed by homeowners.
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