AKRON — An Akron man reached out to News 5 over what he says are streets filled with potholes. Eric Makowski makes a living driving for Lyft, but he says poor road conditions keep damaging his vehicle.
News 5 anchor Tessa DiTirro took his concerns to the city and is already getting some results. The conditions on Sherman Street off Exchange Street troubled Makowski. The city responded by patching up the potholes that made the road rough and explained what would happen next.
City of Akron spokesperson Stephanie Marsh said Sherman Street was scheduled for resurfacing in 2023, but has been pushed back each year due to the lead services that still need to be completed on the street and the amount of construction being done on Exchange Street.
The city said it tries to avoid resurfacing a street that will need to be torn up due to construction. But, the lead lines on Sherman Street should all be replaced by the end of this year, and the Exchange Street project is wrapping up in mid-summer.
Marsh added that once things are done, Sherman Street will be high on the list for consideration for next year’s full resurfacing list due to the poor condition of the road. Until then, the city will continue to do maintenance on the road as needed.
Makowski says there are still plenty of roads for the city to check out.
"These streets are horrendous," Makowski said.
The City of Akron said it understands roads are one of residents' major concerns, and it allocated millions from the capital budget to make some improvements.
"The longer-term fix is actually resurfacing the road, so this year we've budgeted 5.75 million in our capital budget. So, that is for about 34 new miles of roadway covering the 2025 resurfacing list, and then it's covering about 14 miles of carryover work from 2024," said Marsh.
The city is releasing its 2025 resurfacing plan. It grades each road using the pavement condition index (PCI), a numerical index that indicates the general condition of a pavement section. For the 2025 list, some of the worst graded streets that will be done include:
- Cuyahoga Falls Ave. from Murray Ave. to Gorge Blvd.
- Big Falls Ave. from Cuyahoga Falls Ave. E. to 1211 Big Falls Ave.
- Blaine Ave. from York St. E. to Cuyahoga Falls Ave. E.
- Schiller Ave. from Tallmadge Ave. to Cuyahoga Falls Ave. E.
- Damon St. from Evans Ave. to Tallmadge Ave. E.
- East Ave. from Biruta St. to Manchester Rd.
- Orlando Ave. from Stoner St. to Copley Rd.
- Winton Ave. from Stoner St. to Copley Rd.
- Allenford St. from Pelton Ave. to Nesmith Lake Blvd. and from Manchester Rd. to Pelton Ave.
- Eastwood Ave. from Brittain Rd. to Darrow Rd.
Click here for a full list of streets that will be resurfaced.
The concrete pavement rehabilitation program in 2025 will focus on Akron's Ward 6, specifically the Ellet neighborhood.
Signage will be posted on each street several days before resurfacing work is scheduled to begin. Traffic is maintained as much as possible during this work, but on-street parking is prohibited on the dates posted. On the city's website and social media pages, periodic updates to the program will be posted.
Makowski drives a lot near the University of Akron, and he says he's taken reports to 311 and the mayor's office dozens of times.
"When I get a flat tire, I'm obviously out of work for the rest of that day, and the previous day while I get the tire repaired," said Makowski.
The City said the "busy" season for pothole repairs is happening right now. Typically, crews can respond to 200 to 300 a day during this time of year. If you report a pothole, the city says it should be fixed within three to four days, but it may take longer depending on the weather.
The best way to report a pothole is by calling 311 or using the 311 app.
"If they think it's been taking too long or maybe the work wasn't done, they can always go back and fill out another request certainly, I would say typically though that request would be done within a week. So, if they're noticing it's longer they certainly can go in and fill out another request," said Marsh.
Makowski said he has made repeated requests and also submitted reimbursement information, "they wanted two written estimates, three pictures, exact time, location and date, they wanted the weather temperature. To me, it's just obvious that they're wanting people to give up."
"If you have hit a pothole and you got damage and you got a flat or it damaged your rim or something like that, you can contact 311, they can get you the forms to fill out, it is a process, you've got to fill out exactly where it happened, what happened," said Marsh.
Makowski said he has seen some areas improve, "My very first flat tire three years ago came on a roundabout at Mull and South Hawkins. I believe since that time, that has gotten better."
Before 2017, the city said it was only able to fix up about 15 miles of roadway each year. After a tax increase, it is averaging close to 46 miles of work a year.
"Nobody wants to hit a pothole, and God forbid you get a flat tire from it, it is a headache it's a pain and the city of Akron takes that very seriously. We understand that the roads and conditions of roads are one of the number one concerns of our residents, and that's why we are investing in roads," said Marsh.
The city is working to purchase a new machine called "durapatch." It essentially works as a one-man pothole machine that can fix problem areas more quickly and permanently than before.
Makowski thinks there's still more work to be done,
"Fix these roads. We're paying tons of money, all of our tax dollars and the roads look like this? I want somebody to take some accountability," said Makowski.
