Plus: There’s a new Jamaican eatery in San Francisco’s Ferry Building, and the alleged gunman behind the mass shooting in Monterey Park appears to have killed himself.
Over the weekend, we swerved no less than two dozen times trying to avoid potholes that looked deep enough to break any modern-day suspension component on a vehicle. What’s always been a situation akin to a hyperlocal nightmare has now devolved into a full-blown sleep paralysis demon.
With a break in the storms, our street repair crews are making great progress catching up on patching the 300+ potholes reported in San Francisco since the downpours began on New Year’s Eve. Please report potholes to @sf311 so we can make the needed fixes. #EssentialWorkers pic.twitter.com/tOa24Gp3jd
— San Francisco Public Works (@sfpublicworks) January 13, 2023
Since the beginning of this year, hundreds of pothole reports have been filed with the San Francisco Public Works by residents pleading for them to be filled. In cities like Mountain View and Palo Alto, roads look akin to stainless steel cheesegraters — dotted with perforations that have jagged rims adept at slicing through thick rubber. Metros in Marin County have also seen alarming rises in potholes; Caltrans was forced to temporarily close a Northbound lane earlier this month for “emergency pothole repair.”
Like we said earlier this morning: These post-bomb-cyclone suckers are wild. This makes complete sense. Outside of climates that experience freezing temperatures, the leading cause of potholes is water seeping underneath the pavement, pushing the ground to expand and causing small cracks in the roadway. Over time, passing vehicles exacerbate this process of degradation — leaving us mere mortals to navigate road ditches that rattle both our car axles and sentient spirits.
Talking to a woman today in a cafe writing this piece, we bemoaned the current state of the roads we’ve been traveling on.
“I’ve lived in the Bay Area for thirty years, and I’ve never seen these roads like this,” she confessed, the steam from her uncapped coffee billowing into the cafe space. “It’s not just annoying, it’s dangerous. I had to veer suddenly to avoid one Friday driving through Daly City and almost hit the car next to me. I was shaking. And these potholes just seem to be getting worse.”
We can’t help but agree. And best believe we’ll keep on reporting potholes I see around San Francisco by using the mobile SF311 app or calling 311. (FYI: Public Works has a published goal to repair “any pothole that is our responsibility within 72 hours during weekdays,” so hold the department to its word.)
What else happened over the weekend? Let’s take a look.
- The Monterey Park shooter is suspected to have killed himself. After claiming at least ten lives in the largest mass shooting seen since Uvalde, Texas, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna identified the gunman as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, who was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound; said no other suspects responsible for the ballroom shooting, which involved victims all believe to be over 50 years old, were at large. More info.
- Finally: San Francisco’s (contentious, lofty, let’s-see-what-happens) plan to build 82,000 housing units has been approved by California. “There is a lot of work to do to actually implement this plan and make it real. We’ve got to reduce barriers, change laws, undergo rezoning, all of it,” Jeff Cretan, spokesman for Mayor London Breed said to the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Mayor has already directed staff to develop immediate and long-term policies so we can actually change how we approve and build housing in this city.” More info.
- Peaches Patties has entered the chat. Joining the Ferry Building’s collection of eateries, the Jamaican eatery will now host its prominent location in the northern plaza of the Ferry Building after it opened Friday; the restaurant will place a empathizes on patties — pockets of pillowy carbs filled with all sorts of spiced meats and vegetables — and a few other dishes (think authentic jerk chicken and ginger beer). More info.
