Who, What and Where Are DPW's Priorities?

Late this past Wednesday afternoon, I counted 94 potholes on the pavement of the (private) property surrounding the Antiques Warehouse building that had been filled earlier that day by our Department of Public Works.  As HUDseen saw on Tuesday and reported on Wednesday, DPW had filled several dozen potholes found primarily along the driveway of the south side of the building and in the southern portion of the parking lot in front.  But DPW's diligent work on Tuesday continued well after I had left the area, covering the entire driveway to the exit at 9G, the entire front parking lot and around the northwest corner of the building where vehicles head to the Hudson Brewery on the north side of the building. 

Yes, DPW filled about one hundred potholes of various sizes (many likely not typically considered potholes), making the driving area surrounding most of 99 South 3rd Street as smooth as possible for the Antiques Warehouse and brewery customers, the antiques dealers, the brewery and Amtrak Engineering employees, the workers in all the other businesses in the building, anyone visiting those businesses, as well as the garbage and delivery trucks servicing the building's businesses.

But while that DPW crew of 4 and the new DPW foreman were busy last week filling potholes for hours on private property, they were able to continue to ignore the dangerous, ugly and unacceptable situation on PUBLIC PROPERTY known as a city-owned street that is, of course, supposed to be maintained by DPW.  That would be the long-missing asphalt surrounding a long-exposed storm water drain grate on Carroll Street near State Street.   While the well-exposed ancient metal grate isn't directly in the traffic lane, it is located just about where bicyclists would be expected to be riding, especially when vehicle traffic is alongside them after turning off of State.  Why do you suppose the asphalt is so damaged surrounding that drain grate -- is it from bicyclists repeatedly hitting it for years?  

Hit that exposed drain grate -- as well as the areas with missing and/or loose asphalt -- and a bicycle wheel or two are probably ruined, with possible bodily damage for the cyclist.  Swerve to avoid the exposed drain grate that DPW has ignored for years and you may not live to see another day after being crushed by a passing vehicle.

Thank goodness, though, that our DPW made sure to keep the parking lot and driveways surrounding 99 South 3rd Street free of any bumps or potholes so that all cyclists turning off of State onto Carroll must continue to contend with an exposed storm water drain grate waiting to kill them or just put them in a coma and destroy their bicycle at the same time.

Apparently, DPW is also fine with vehicles (including trucks) continually running over an exposed metal drain grate so that it too is destroyed and needs to be replaced prematurely.  Does Robert Perry care if DPW or HPD vehicles suffer damage from hitting that exposed drain that might require taxpayer money to repair?  For years?

WTF?  Is Robert Perry okay?