LET'S GET OUR ROADS FIXED!
Did you know that you can get potholes repaired by Placer County simply by filling out a form in the Placer County Connect App on your smart phone? The county will also clear bike lanes blocked by overgrown vegetation and prune around "Share The Road" signs that sometimes disappear behind overgrown trees and shrubs. Hazards reported to the Placer County are a real liability for the county, so their road crews usually get them repaired within a week or two.
For county repairs, start by downloading the Placer County Connect App from either the Apple or Google App Store. The process to create a "service request" with Placer County is described on the county's website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/3743/Report-a-Concern.
CREATING A SERVICE REQUEST WITH PLACER COUNTY:
Creating a service request is easy but you'll need to establish an account and be logged in to submit your request. If you file your service request while on-site, the system will automatically place your location. You can also file a service request after your ride is done, and you're back home with your go-to recovery beverage, by finding your way back to the problem site within the app, thereby pinpointing the location where repairs need to be made. You'll be prompted as you go through the process of filing a service request, so it's pretty straight-forward. To start:
1) Open the Placer County Connect App on your mobile phone.2) Select "Profile" at the bottom and make sure you're logged in.
3) Then, tap "Create A Service Request" in the blue box near the top of your screen. You can also tap "Request" in the bottom right hand corner - they go to the same place.
4) Scroll down and select "Roads and Traffic".
5) Scroll down, again, and select "Road Maintenance Concerns".
6) Either:
a. If you're filing this report onsite, tap "Next". The red pin on the map will be at your current location and the correct street address will already be displayed in the box near the top of your screen.
b. If you're filing this report after-the-fact, drag the map around with your finger so that the red pin rests on the actual site you want to report on. The corresponding street address will appear as the "Issue Location". Then, tap "Next". HINT: Use on-site landmarks to remember your location afterwards.7) On the next screen, you can attach a photo of the offending road hazard - a good reason to file the report from your cell phone. NOTE: your submitted photo will appear in landscape mode and will automatically be cropped, so stand back a little when you take a photograph and hold your camera sideways in landscape mode.
8) After that, you'll be prompted for a description and your contact information.
9) After you hit "Submit", you'll receive an assigned issue number and you're done! You'll get emailed an acknowledgement and update by the county. If you forgot to log in, you'll be prompted to do so here in order to finalize your service request. HINT: keep this password simple - if you're filing your service request out on the road, you might have to remember it in the middle of a ride!
WHAT IF I'M NOT "IN THE COUNTY"?
Placer County's system will notify you if your service request is not in their jurisdiction.
LOOMIS does not have an online system; requests for road repairs can be emailed to Sara Jennings, sjennings@loomis.ca.gov. If you're not sure if you're in Loomis town limits, check the town limits at: https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/loomisca/uploads/2020/04/Loomis-Zoning-Map-072109.pdf. Problems reported to Loomis have been repaired within 24 hours!
To file an online service request within the AUBURN city limits, go to the city's website at: https://www.auburn.ca.gov/. You'll need to be logged in first, so create an account if you don't have one. Their online forms will prompt you for the necessary information and will also allow you to submit a photograph. If you need to check Auburn's city limits first, go to their website at: https://www.auburn.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2502/City-limits?bidId=.
Similar boundary maps exist for other towns and cities in Placer County.
TO TAG OR NOT TO TAG?
I usually go back with a safety vest on and tag offending potholes with a circle of yellow spray paint BEFORE I take a photograph and submit my service request. This has three advantages: 1) It makes it easier for road crews to find, 2) It makes it easier for cyclists to avoid before the repair is made, and 3) County road crews will frequently repair a marked pothole even if I don't file a service request! Local jurisdictions have not objected to my marking hazards.
ROLLING ON:
You can easily make your favorite roads a safer, more enjoyable place to ride. HAPPY HUNTING!
Steve Boswell V. 3.006/28/2022