Plague Of Potholes: How To Report And Get Reimbursed In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — The relentless stream of atmospheric rivers ravaged Santa Monica roads, leading to thousands of potholes on freeways, highways and surface streets across the Golden State. If it seems worse than usual — it is.

From a pothole on an overpass that sent debris flying onto the 5 in Glendale in mid-March to several large potholes that developed on State Route 71 in Pomona that damaged 30 vehicles, snarled traffic for miles, and prompted several nights of closures to repair, navigating the storms has been anything but pleasant.

Santa Monica residents have many options for reporting potholes. The Public Works Department takes care of pothole repairs and can be reached at 310-458-8721 or by email at streets.mailbox@santamonica.gov. Online reports can be made on the Santa Monica 311 website. Officials said repairs are prioritized based on severity.

When it comes to freeways and highways such as PCH, Caltrans is the agency to call for pothole repairs. The state agency has been in a race to repair potholes and sinkholes for weeks.

According to Caltrans, the unrelenting nature of the winter storms and early spring have provided precisely the conditions that are ripe for potholes to form.

"When it rains or snows, you get water that seeps through cracks in the pavement, then the base layer in the soil underneath the road becomes saturated," said Allison Colburn, a public information officer for Caltrans. "This eventually leaves a void underneath the road. So when vehicles drive over the cracked pavement, repeatedly...the surface then breaks and collapses into the void."

In District 7 alone, which covers Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Colburn said crews had filled north of 8,000 potholes between New Year's Day and March 20 — a figure nearly three times higher than the same time last year.

Caltrans actively monitors roads across the region during storm events, and crews respond as possible to the hundreds of reports filed by drivers.

"They're basically prioritized by the availability of resources, but also the priority of how bad the damage is," Colburn said. "A small pothole that's maybe not causing any damage or issues, that's going to be prioritized behind a large pothole in the middle of a lane."

For drivers who spot a pothole, Caltrans said using its online customer service request portal is the best bet.

"That goes through our system, and we have people who look through that and assign maintenance crews to it based on location," Colburn said. "That's the quickest way to get it looked at."

Drivers who believe their vehicle was damaged by a pothole on a state road, and that Caltrans was responsible, can seek compensation from the agency, but Colburn cautions that getting a claim approved is not a sure thing.

"I want to clarify that under California law, Caltrans does not insure vehicles for damage on our highways," Colburn said. "There is a driver responsibility component here. Drivers in California must exercise caution on all roads and have car insurance to cover liability and property damage. In limited circumstances, Caltrans may be statutorily responsible for damage to a vehicle."

For damage valued up to $10,000, drivers can submit a claim online. Anything higher is handled separately by California's Government Claims Program. In Los Angeles, drivers can also call: 213-897-0816.