A NewsChannel5 investigation reveals that crews are resurfacing an east side Cleveland street that has a better pavement rating than a stretch of the same road just a mile away, which remains untouched.
Federal funds are being used to re-pave Harvard Avenue, between E. 116th and Lee Road. Parts of that area are rated a "C" in the city's pavement study, according to the city of Cleveland. Compare that to Harvard Avenue between E. 93rd and E. 116th that has a "F" rating. No resurfacing is taking place there.
“It’s terrible," said Ernesto Hudson, who owns a car wash business on Harvard near E. 106th. "You come down the road, it’s very terrible, bumps, you got to go on the other side of the road to actually even get down the street.”
The city of Cleveland declined our request for an interview but said there are no plans to resurface the pothole-ridden stretch.
Councilman Zack Reed also said the administration told him Harvard between E. 93rd and E. 116th would not be re-surfaced.
"The city determines which streets are resurfaced each year on a number of factors including funding source, pavement ratings, council input and others," said Daniel Ball, a city spokesperson. "That area has not yet been visited by our pothole repair crews this year but is scheduled to be addressed."
"The whole thing is messed up," said Reed. "Citizens of ward two are being messed over again simply because we are saying we are going to pave streets how we want to pave streets, not the way the citizens want the streets paved."
An official city document, obtained by NewsChannel 5, does not include the Harvard Avenue re-surfacing project in its list of street projects over the next four and a half years.
The cost to re-pave Harvard Ave. between E. 116th and Lee Road is $2.4 million. The project is being overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
NOTE: The City of Cleveland originally told newsnet5.com that Harvard between E. 93rd and E. 116th would be paved in the future. Officials later said that information was wrong and it would not be paved. Those changes have been reflected in the story above.
