By Kiara Catanzaro
News Assignment Editor
Potholes on campus have been a major problem with St. Bonaventure University’s maintenance this year.
I have heard the horrors of maintenance workers not maintaining campus for over a year. The Bona Venture published a news story last spring about the numerous potholes on campus and how some cars were damaged because of them, which was the first time I heard about the road upkeep, or lack thereof, on campus.
There were many occasions where I noticed students struggling with car troubles because the potholes have caused damages to their cars.
Koty Mann, a junior sociology major, said he has noticed damage to his car over the last few months with the potholes on roads on campus.
“From the potholes on campus, I have noticed that my suspension on my car has definitely taken a toll,” Mann said.
Phil Winger, director of maintenance, said there is a budget for paving repairs, which will be prioritized during spring. The budget is normally used for small patches and localized repairs. Extensive replacements will be handled as capital projects in upcoming years.
“In the past two years, we have replaced large sections of badly deteriorated roadway, and overlaid others,” Winger said. “The less torn-up areas that used to be lower priority are moving, now, to the top of the list as we endeavor to increase the quality of pavement overall. But it remains important to keep up with minor repairs on the new roads, so that they do not go downhill again.”
It’s almost impossible to drive to the parking lot behind Francis Hall because of the stream of three-feet deep potholes.
When potholes are first noticed on campus, maintenance should have them filled within the first week they are noticed. This will prevent future problems for students.
Winger said maintenance has worked over the years to maintain potholes around campus.
Although maintenance has worked to fill potholes around campus, students still struggle
The potholes don’t only cause problems for students’ cars, but they also are dangerous for students when they walk or run in that area.
Eddie Caraccioli, a junior French major, said ROTC students have to cautiously run near Francis Hall during morning workouts because of the potholes.
“Even when ROTC kids have to run for physical training, there have been many times where students have almost sprained their ankles running,” Caraccioli said. “One of the runners in front of the group will have to warn the other runners behind him of the potholes.”
Maintenance should increase how often they maintain filling potholes on campus so students can do their normal activities without worrying about damaging their cars.
Kiara Catanzaro is the news editor for The Bona Venture. Her email is catanzka12@bonaventure.edu.
