Feb. 19--Drivers accustomed to zigzagging down Chicago streets to avoid potholes this time of year may be feeling surprisingly undeterred, as city officials say the milder winter has led to a noticeable drop in pothole repairs compared with the last two years.
In January, 40,262 potholes were repaired by the city's Transportation Department, compared with 60,611 in 2015 and 94,307 in 2014. So far this month, 34,099 potholes have been filled, compared with 70,613 in all of February 2015 and 106,852 in all of February 2014, according to city data.
"With the weather being as warm as it is, we've been good," said Randy Conner, first deputy commissioner for the department. "We've been able to stay in front of the potholes and even catch some additional ones."
Potholes are caused when moisture seeps into the pavement and then expands when it freezes, causing the asphalt to "pop." Without an abundance of snowfall and cold temperatures to cause such conditions, the city's 23 patching crews have been able to keep up with potholes reported, Conner said.
During busy years, it could take seven to 10 days before city crews are able to repair reported potholes. This year, crews are responding within 3.5 days, he added.
The improved response time comes two years after an audit from the city's Office of Inspector General cited the Transportation Department for exceeding its target response time of seven days on at least 26 percent of pothole repairs.
Since then, Mayor Rahm Emanuel added $10 million to the department's 2015 budget for pothole and pavement maintenance, which helped transportation officials repave or resurface a quarter of the city's streets. The department has also experimented with paving techniques and asphalt mix designs to prevent potholes from forming, Conner said.
With busy season for potholes nearly halfway over -- it typically begins Jan. 1 and continues through April -- Conner said he expects the pothole totals to remain low this year.
And with unseasonably warm weather forecasts on the horizon, he may be right.
The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures in the lower 60s across the Chicago area for Friday, a bit cooler but still in the mid- to upper 50s on Saturday and back to the 30s by Monday, according to Casey Sullivan, a meteorologist for the weather service.
Through the end of May, the weather service's Climate Prediction Center is also projecting temperatures will be above normal, Sullivan said.
vortiz@tribpub.com
