Forecast calls for ‘cloudy with a chance of potholes’

County Council releases funds to help municipalities fill road and budget gaps

This winter, people on the East Coast endured a “polar vortex.” Now motorists are dodging gaping bunkers in a “pothole vortex.”

Recognizing that municipalities are working hard to fix the extreme number of damaging and dangerous potholes on their roads, Delaware County Council is offering assistance through the county’s Liquid Fuels fund.

On Wednesday, County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle announced Operation PAT, or Pothole Assistance for Taxpayers. Operation PAT is a grant program that enables each of the 49 municipalities to apply for Liquid Fuel Funds for the specific purpose of repairing potholes.

“We’ve all encountered an extreme number of dangerous potholes. Drivers need the skills of a Grand Prix driver to avoid the holes, and when they hit them, they have to pay to replace flat tires, bent rims and broken axles,” McGarrigle said. “This is not only hard on everyone’s public works budget, but it’s a public safety issue. And County Council wants to help its municipal partners cope with the pothole problem.”

The 2013-14 winter was one of the worst on record not only for snowfall, but for the need to salt, plow, resalt, replow, and then repair the damages to the road.

Like the craters on the Moon, some residents have started naming some of the larger potholes. County Council announced Operation PAT in the community of Ridley Park, standing beside a pizza-sized pothole at the corner of Thayer and Barker streets.

“Now that spring is near, our municipalities are left to struggle with the spiraling cost of road salt, road crew overtime and street repairs,” McGarrigle said. “In difficult economic times for local governments, these unexpected costs add to the burden on local taxpayers and County Council wants to assist the municipalities.”

Each year, Delaware County Council receives funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Liquid Fuels Program, which funds municipalities’ construction, repairs and maintenance of public roads and bridges. The amount of the allocation is based on a formula of population and miles of roads.

Dennis Carey, the director of the Delaware County Department of Public Works, said the repeated freezing and thawing of roadways has exacerbated the deterioration of the roadways. This year, he said, there has been a “cumulative effect that has increased the amount and the depth of the potholes.”

Roads are also subject to “crocodile cracking,” which is the precursor to potholes.

County Council announced that it is making about $250,000 in grants available to the 49 local municipalities. This will be a supplemental allocation of 35 percent of the regular Liquid Fuel funds allocated on an annual basis.

Delaware County is one of if not the only county in Pennsylvania that allocates a percentage of its Liquid Fuels Funds to local governments instead of retaining the total amount in the county fund.

Delaware County allocates about 70 percent of the funds to municipalities for road repairs. The remaining amount is used to fund the design, construction and repair of more than 40 county-owned bridges.

“Working with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Delaware County has received approval to repurpose existing Liquid Fuels Funds to this grant program in order to partially relieve our local governments of the cost of pothole repairs,” McGarrigle said. “Ultimately, this relief is for our taxpayers who have been through one tough winter.”

McGarrigle was joined by Ridley Park Councilman Paul Mattus who said his borough is grateful to the county for supplementing a budget that has been stretched to the maximum by the severity of this winter season.

Greg Lebold, township manager from Upper Providence, also attended the Operation PAT announcement, saying that his crews are busy filling potholes in his township. Upper Providence Council President Joe Solomon recently said his township is “is bracing for the financial impact of the winter.”       Operation PAT will be administered through the Delaware County Department of Public Works. Local municipalities will be sent an application package similar to the annual Liquid Fuels Funds application package. The municipalities will be required to use the supplemental funds to fix potholes on their roads and bridges.

“Municipalities can get 35 percent of their annual allocation as a supplement,” McGarrigle said. “We hope we can ease the financial burden, and prevent motorists from having accidents or damaging their vehicles while dodging the potholes.”

To report a major pothole on a municipal roadway, motorists should call their municipal office. To report a pothole on a state road, people can call 1-800-FIX-ROAD.