West Sacramento struggles to find funds for pothole repairs
WEST SACRAMENTO - In West Sacramento, potholes are becoming a big problem, and residents are frustrated by what they call a lack of progress.
It seems pretty simple on the surface. Just fill the potholes, and all will be fine, right? But the West Sacramento city government has had to play whack-a-mole with these holes because of the weather. And when it comes to funding to fix all of this, it's going to take a little bit of time.
With each passing storm, more potholes appear, and any work that was done seems gone in an instant.
"They're everywhere. Every day, well not every day. I almost fell," said one West Sacramento resident.
"Because there are big holes all over West Sacramento Avenue," said another resident.
It has meant good business during a historically quiet time for tire shop owner Avtar Sidhu.
"Ten to 15 people a day come in to fix their tires," he said.
At his shop and Valero on Reed Avenue, it feels like there are more potholes than roads.
"The road is so busy. There are construction workers, too many people are working on it," said Sidhu.
So why can't the city just fix all of it at once? One part of the answer involves the weather.
"Given the amount of rainfall we've received, it's hard to get in there for a few days to do the scheduling," said Bill Roberts.
The city also can't use federal and state funds for public works projects.
So instead of passing it on to the taxpayer, the city is applying for grants to be able to just replace the roads entirely.
"We're talking about going in there and grinding and taking all that asphalt out and doing a complete redesign, especially with the ones with heavier traffic, the heavier roads with the vehicles," said Roberts.
So future drives can be smooth and safe in West Sacramento. In the meantime, the city is asking residents to continue to call in about potholes and where they are. The city then makes determinations about when and where to patch.