daleadbull wrote:Can't they just design the roads better instead of just mindlessly pouring more asphalt into the potholes over and over again?
Cost is by far the biggest obstacle to better roads. Sure, someone could probably come up with a better design for road paving that would make it last longer/be stronger/better to drive on/etc.. but the cost of installing it would be outrageous and that isn't counting the engineering cost for someone to figure that out if they haven't done so already.
Source: I see wasteful spending daily on engineering projects.
I can get behind that if potholes are a new issue but potholes have been a problem for how long? Decades? Probably since they first started paving roads. You would think they would have found a way to account for the expansion/contraction that occurs in fluctuating temperatures.
Potholes and cold hard tires are a bad bad combination.
You forget the job security for all those guys standing around outside when they finally do decide to fix a road and keep it jacked up for a year our more.
Ah, the old "If they can put a man on the moon then they can surely [fill in the blank] school of reasoning. Look, I am no fan of potholes, but I understand that it's quite hard to develop a road surface that withstands both the natural elements and heavy vehicle pressures while also providing smoothness, traction, pothole-resistance, and year-round durability that drivers demand. If anyone knows of a better solution than the status quo delivers, then there may be a patent application in your future!
Boston Fit wrote:Ah, the old "If they can put a man on the moon then they can surely [fill in the blank] school of reasoning. Look, I am no fan of potholes, but I understand that it's quite hard to develop a road surface that withstands both the natural elements and heavy vehicle pressures while also providing smoothness, traction, pothole-resistance, and year-round durability that drivers demand. If anyone knows of a better solution than the status quo delivers, then there may be a patent application in your future!
You forgot "Cheap".
I also honestly and sincerely believe that nobody is interested in technology that puts paving companies out of business.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
All I'm saying is there are countries out there using heated roads while we're out here filling potholes and spreading salt everywhere like barbarians.
No ones is saying it won't be costly but come on we spend billions on crap that no one needs anyway. Why are we more worried about putting people out of business than advancing technology and creating new jobs for now and the future? This is the backlash that Tesla is dealing with now.
Here's a practical tip for anyone who has sustained wheel or tire damage from running over potholes: some municipalities let you file a claim and get reimbursed for repair costs to some degree. Worth looking into.
daleadbull wrote:All I'm saying is there are countries out there using heated roads while we're out here filling potholes and spreading salt everywhere like barbarians.
No ones is saying it won't be costly but come on we spend billions on crap that no one needs anyway. Why are we more worried about putting people out of business than advancing technology and creating new jobs for now and the future? This is the backlash that Tesla is dealing with now.
Not to turn this political but rather just to add to the point......your country has spent billons upon billions upon billions on pointless wars.....
daleadbull wrote:All I'm saying is there are countries out there using heated roads while we're out here filling potholes and spreading salt everywhere like barbarians.
No ones is saying it won't be costly but come on we spend billions on crap that no one needs anyway. Why are we more worried about putting people out of business than advancing technology and creating new jobs for now and the future? This is the backlash that Tesla is dealing with now.
Not to turn this political but rather just to add to the point......your country has spent billons upon billions upon billions on pointless wars.....
No argument from me, that's precisely my point. I just didn't want to turn this into a political thing like you said.
When it comes down to it, my point is potholes suck! Especially for those of us driving stiffer/lower sporty cars.
We have a heated ramp coming out of the garage at my current temp assignment. It's been really nice with all the snow we've had, but I still manage to spin the tires a bit before they catch on the insane incline.
17 Mazda6 Touring
18 Mazda3 iSport
InlinePaul wrote:The driving force of new fangled features to sell more cars [is to] cater to the masses' abject laziness!
All this eek we are finally having plus temperatures instead of minus and melting some of these mountains of snow. Then come the weekend when I'm actually off work it's supposed to drop below zero and start slinging that awful white stuff again. Son of a......
Concrete highways...they aren't just in Florida, ya know....
Much of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in NY is concrete. It was maybe 10 years ago that they started to pave over the concrete with asphalt. And you know what? The asphalt has already been paved over, while the original concrete portion of the parkway remains almost entirely original. I'm sure it costs more, but it lasts FAR longer. The only real downside is that the ride is more noisy than ultra-smooth asphalt. Still though, concrete doesn't develop potholes the way asphalt does....