Are massive potholes rattling your nerves and wrecking your car? Tell us about it

The winter of our discontent continues.

The combination of rain, snow and bitter cold has made life here miserable. It has also turned area roads into pitted, potholed obstacle courses that have rattled cars and bodies, in equal measure.

Kansas City got 256 pothole complaints in the first six weeks of last year. This year, citizens reported 1,407 potholes during the same time period.

As of Feb. 12, the city had yet to fix 600 potholes on its streets. Recent snow and ice have likely exacerbated the curb-to-curb carnage.

“People are going to have to be patient,” City Manager Troy Schulte said recently on KCUR.

Sure, no one can fix potholes immediately. But severely pitted roads are a danger to drivers and pedestrians. They’re also expensive, causing damage to tires, wheels, axles and fenders.

In some cases, drivers can file public damage claims after a pothole encounter.

But fixing roads must be an urgent priority in the days ahead. Like trash removal and public safety, street preservation and repair are basic services.

This problem isn’t limited to Kansas City. Both Missouri and Kansas drivers complain about pockmarked highways. Some communities report a three-to-four day delay in patching potholes on residential streets.

It’s possible you have a pavement failure in your neighborhood. If you can safely take a picture of it, we invite you to submit a photo to The Star by email, for publication. If you have a story to go along with the pothole, send that, too.

We’re also asking readers to share their ideas about how to address the problem. Should more money be spent on street repairs? Should cities and states use stronger construction materials, even if it costs a little more?

There is clearly room for improvement. Last year’s citizen satisfaction survey in Kansas City — compiled before this crummy winter — showed more than half of those surveyed are dissatisfied with street maintenance. That’s horrible, in good weather or bad.

Residents have shown faith in City Hall by renewing the sales tax for capital improvements, and Schulte has promised a 70 percent increase in street preservation spending this year. It’s a start.

The weather could help out, too. Until it does, though, smooth streets must be job one.

We want your pothole pictures and fixes

Does your daily commute take you by a notable pothole road hazard that you’ve documented in a photograph? And do you have ideas about how to keep them from pockmarking Kansas City streets? Send your pictures and ideas to community engagement editor Derek Donovan at ddonovan@kcstar.com or mail them to The Kansas City Star, 1601 McGee Street, Kansas City, Mo., 64108. We’ll share the best with other Star readers.

This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 3:55 PM.