Drivers react to new street repair plan in Colorado Springs

A five-year plan for street repair and maintenance revealed by the city’s Streets Division this week isn’t going over well with many drivers who spoke with KRDO NewsChannel 13.

“I don’t think it’s going to work,” Laura Camous said of the plan to divide the city into quadrants and provide a different type of service to each area annually.

“If only one section is getting done (with a certain service), the rest will really go to crap.”

Corey Farkas, manager of the streets division, announced the plan Thursday, describing it as a way to stretch limited resources and reduce potholes by improving general condition of streets and roads.

“(Streets are) deteriorating faster than we can (repair them),” he said. “It’s why this year is worse than last year for potholes. Unless we do more maintenance, next year will continue to get worse.”

Farkas said his department’s budget is financed by about $14 million from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority’s one percent sales tax approved by voters in 2004.

“We’ll spend $7.5 million on paving this year,” he said. “That just covers 2 percent of the streets needing repair.”

Farkas said the plan will repair and maintain the worst major and secondary streets but not include neighborhood streets and potholes beyond what crews currently fill.

“The neighborhood streets are horrible,” said Angie Rash. “They need (attention), too.”

Cole Banks said there should be more money available to improve street and road conditions.

“I rent trailers and have to charge a (daily) fee of $2,” he said. “So you’d think money’s there.”

Kevin Blanchard seems willing to give the plan a chance.

“It’d probably be easier to maintain and manage four different grids than (a) big one,” he said. “Yeah, I think that’d be better.”

For more information about the plan, visit: http://coloradosprings.gov/cat/resident-services/public-works/streets-division.