Mayor Elorza Announces #PVDPotholeHunt and Aggressive Approach to Potholes

PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Jorge Elorza today joined by a Department of Public Works
pothole team, outlined efforts to aggressively and systematically repair potholes
throughout the City of Providence with the #PVDPotholeHunt campaign that encourages
the community to report potholes by utilizing the 3-1-1 hotline, the PVD311 mobile
application, and an online pothole tracker.

«Thanks to increased technology and improved processes our pothole crews will be
more efficient and responsive when it comes to potholes throughout the city,» said
Mayor Elorza. «Residents are now able to track their requests and make reports
easily through the 3-1-1 hotline and PVD311 application.»

With the launch of the new 3-1-1 hotline and PVD311 mobile application, Mayor Elorza
is working to make it easier for residents to report and track requests for city
services. Potholes can be reported through the application or non-emergency line 24
hours a day. Potholes can also be tracked on a new map for up to date information on
the status of a request available at
www.providenceri.com/pvd-pothole-hunt.

In addition to the hotline, app and online tools, Mayor Elorza also announced
#PVDPotholeHunt, a citywide community lead initiative that encourages residents to
survey the conditions of their neighborhood streets for potholes and report via the
application. These efforts are guided by daily, proactive surveys of streets and
reports from residents, to identify and prioritize repairs. Roadways are prioritized
based on level of traffic and condition of the roadway.

Dates for the neighborhood events are as follows:

Saturday, March 19, WBNA Headquarters at 2:00pm
Sunday, March 20, Seven Stars on Hope street at 1:00pm
Sunday, March 20, Johnny’s Chimi’s at 3:00pm
Saturday, March 26, City Hall at 9:30am
Saturday, March 26, Mt. Pleasant High School 11:30am

Residents are encouraged to report potholes to the Mayor’s Office by calling 3-1-1
or through the PVD311 website and mobile app. Reports help the city find areas that
need prioritization and inform the prioritization process.
There are 4 simple steps when reporting via the PVD311 mobile app:

1. Install PVD311 mobile application onto phone.

2. Open and select Submit New Request.

3. Identify whether the hole is a Potholes, Sinkhole or Failed Utility Patch.

4. Proceed to fill out information and Submit Request.
When reporting a problem, residents are encouraged to identify the hazards as one of
the following types:

* Potholes are round, irregularly bowl-shaped openings up to several inches
deep. Occurs when asphalt surface of the road is broken up, exposing the road
subsurface below.

* Sinkholes are large, deep washouts, with voids under the surrounding road
surface. Occurs when dirt below the concrete base washes away, causing the asphalt
to fall through. Sinkholes may be caused by breaks in underground pipes below the
sinkhole or soft soils underneath the pavement.

* Failed Utility Patches are rectangular straight edge utility excavations
not backfilled properly, that wash out or sink in, leaving a depression in the road.
The seams of utility patches are often the source of a pothole, so the pothole
within a defective utility patch may have irregular edges.