TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Potholes are becoming a growing problem across the country and here in the Tampa Bay area.
The city of Tampa is filling them as fast as they can, but they’re hitting some roadblocks.
City leaders say aging infrastructure is to blame for the problems along with wear and tear from rainwater that seeps into the cracking and crumbling pavement.
The city of Tampa spends about $5 million each year on repaving its nearly 2,200 miles of streets. According to the director of transportation, that allows the city to repave about 30 miles of streets each year.
The average street in Tampa, under the current budget, is only repaved once every 75 years.
“We’re able to pave about two neighborhoods and one corridor a year,” said Brandie Miklus, Infrastructure and Mobility Program Coordinator with the City of Tampa. “So we are at $5 million a year right now and we need to be at about $40 million a year.”
Last fall, Hillsborough County voters denied a transportation referendum that asked for an extra one percent sales tax for road repairs.
However, $570 million collected from a transportation referendum that voters approved in 2018 is in limbo because it’s up to the state legislature to determine how the money should be spent.
Miklus also says there are fewer dollars coming in from the local gas tax since there are more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.
The city of Tampa Mobility Department launched the FIX IT FAST Initiative.
The FIX IT FAST Initiative allows for residents to have the following repairs made within 72 hours after filing a report:
- Traffic Signs: (Stop Signs, Do Not Enter Signs, Yield Signs, No Parking Signs, Speed Limit Signs, etc.)
- Potholes and Other Minor Road Repairs
- Roadway and Sign Obstructions: (debris, fallen tree limbs/branches, etc.)
The FIX IT FAST Program focuses on delivering timely and quality repairs with a convenient customer experience and an easy reporting system.
How To File A Report:
- FIX IT FAST Web Portal: https://www.tampa.gov/fix
- The City of Tampa Call Center is also available 24-hours a day, seven days a week at 813-274-FAST (3278).
