CHARLESTON, Sc. (WTOC) – Congresswoman Nancy Mace proposed the “Pothole Accountability Act” that she said would require the South Carolina Department of Transportation to create a public online dashboard tracking every pothole report and how long it takes to fix.
In a press release, it said that the proposal includes a liability shield protecting the state from lawsuits. That this proposal is about accountability and transparency.
According to a press release, Mace mentioned major cities like Chicago that target seven days to find a pothole, track it, and fix it. It said Boston and Washington, D.C., aim for 48-72 hours.
South Carolina lawmakers are pushing for a new proposal that could dramatically improve road conditions across the state. A bill introduced in the state legislature seeks to impose a 10-day deadline for repairing potholes on all state-maintained roads. This proposed legislation is seen as a response to the growing frustrations from residents and travelers who have long dealt with poorly maintained roads and the dangers potholes can present.
A Growing Problem
Potholes are not only an eyesore but also a major hazard for drivers. The issue of road maintenance in South Carolina has been a persistent one, with many drivers reporting damage to vehicles and accidents caused by poorly repaired or unattended potholes. According to some estimates, South Carolina’s roads have been in need of repairs for years, with potholes forming due to a combination of weather conditions and aging infrastructure.
This proposal wants SCDOT to find the pothole and fix it in 10 days.
The proposal would require SCDOT to:
- Publish an interactive map showing every reported pothole and road defect
- Display how many days each request has been open
- Provide an explanation for any repair taking longer than ten days
- Report weekly statistics on response times by county
- Make the information available for download
“South Carolinians deserve to know that when they report a problem, someone is actually listening. This proposal is simple: fix it in ten days or tell us why you can’t,” she said. “I’m asking for better transparency. If a pothole in Anderson County is going to take one month because there’s one crew covering four counties, fine – just tell people that. Sunlight is the best transparency.”
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