Bronx, N.Y. – Following the release of a new report by the New York City Independent Budget Office that lists road conditions on Riverdale streets among the worst in the borough, State Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (D - Bronx) is calling on the city Department of Transportation (DOT) to make immediate repairs. In announcing his request, the Bronx legislator is citing "urgent safety concerns" stemming from the dire conditions, as well as the potential for property damage to private vehicles and public transit buses.

"Our roads are like a war zone," said Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz. "Drivers in Riverdale and surrounding neighborhoods should not have to spend their entire commute dodging potholes and cracks in the road. This creates urgent safety concerns and causes untold costs to the city and its residents. The DOT needs to step up and make improvements to our streets before they do any more damage."

In a letter to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Assembly Member Dinowitz called on the city to address poor road conditions in the Bronx neighborhoods of Riverdale, North Riverdale and Fieldston. Dinowitz's request comes in response to a report released late last week by the city Independent Budget Office (IBO) that lists the area as having the second-worst roads in the entire borough.

According to the report, DOT street quality assessments conducted over an 18-month period rated just 38.71% of streets in the geographic area "North Riverdale-Fieldston-Riverdale" as being in good condition. This makes the neighborhood second-worst in the borough in street conditions, second only to Parkchester, where just 30.31% were rated "good." Citywide, the DOT listed 70.2% of roadways in good condition.

In his letter, Dinowitz also emphasized the considerable financial costs to the city that result from poor roadway conditions, which he anticipates will worsen over the winter months. Dinowitz, who was just named chair of the Assembly committee tasked with oversight of the MTA, also expressed concern about potential damage to the city's bus fleet.

The costs to city coffers associated with road condition-related damage and personal injury has long concerned public officials. Motorists that suffer damage to their vehicle as a result of poor conditions on city streets are entitled to file a tort claim with the office of Comptroller Scott Stringer as a way of trying to recoup repair costs.

According a 2015 report by the Comptroller, between fiscal years 2010-2015, 12,286 pothole claims were filed against the city. Of these, 1,549 claims were settled at a cost of nearly $1.5 million, the report states. During the same period, 5,913 personal injury claims were filed, with 2,681 settled at a cost to the city of $136.3 million. The report adds that, taken together, pothole and personal injury claims resulting from poor city road conditions have cost the city approximately $27.6 million during this five-year period