What should be done about the gravel road i live on?

Question

Here's the situation:

I live on a gravel road.
There is very little traffic....about 20 cars a day.

But it's never maintained
My family has learned that the only way to keep the road in a decent condition is to drive slowly and avoid all of the pot holes that build up.
However, the family down the street (there are 3 houses on the road) doesn't slow down and doesn't avoid potholes
So they just get huge.
SO...
the road is always bumpy, and sometimes to the point that my car (2005 Acura RSX which is admittedly low to the ground) will bottom out
So now...unless I drive <10MPH, I’m risking damage to the car

WELL...being that its spring time, the road has been very wet and very muddy
For the past couple weeks we've all been risking getting stuck.
Last night...I was going about 25 mphs to get through all of the mud and the car was dragged into a rut in the center of the road which I couldn't get out of...so there I sat....stuck in the middle of the road.

I open the window to see how deep it is (after trying briefly to free myself)
And the mud is up to the door on my side so I can’t even get out. I have to climb out the passenger side.

I finally got ahold of a township trustee who came and pulled me out, and he said “we’ll put some stone on it”

It’s just going to get this bad again eventually…

I realize that everyone’s tight for money
I realize that very few people use this road
And I realize that nobody other than the three families on this road would want the township to put any money into making it decent

But as someone who pays their taxes, pays the license fees (which it says goes directly to maintaining roads and bridges in the state)
I should be able to drive any street legal vehicle on any road in the township/county/state without risking damage
That means a Lamborghini which is 4 inches off the ground and can’t handle 200 pot holes on a road
A motorcycle, which obviously performs terribly on soft mud/pothole

Am I wrong here, shouldn’t the township HAVE to do something to maintain this road?
Chip and sealing or paving would be expensive obviously, but with the low traffic, it’ll last for quite some time. And even when these improvements have become run-down, it won’t be anywhere near as bad as the road currently is.


So what do you think?

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please note:
i realize how long winded this is....
no need to keep reminding me haha

Answer 1

Go to the media about it and continue to make a stink at city hall about it write letters and call daily if needed.....also see if you can get the city to start having to pay for damage to your car (that worked for my friend) because that will usually make them move a little faster

Answer 2

Gonna risk my ultimate guess - city roads are often paved except on privately owned land and then especially circumstances, particularly if there is purely one individual who lives on it, they are no longer likely to pay for paving. they think approximately the gravel positioned out a luxury. County roads sound extra like those you're coping with, and many the extra distant roads are not paved using fact no longer sufficient human beings have complained approximately it. I even think of a few human beings want their roads unpaved using fact it provides to the country high quality of their u . s . a . abode placing. State roads are the intra-state highways and byways, the great majority of those must be paved and if no longer probability is that must be lined via some coverage provision. First i might make investments some income a close-by map that has all roads thoroughly defined, then mark those that are a controversy for you and persist with up with the county board. Atleast you will have some solutions, whether it would not effect in paving. If the roads are privately owned, you ought to take it up with the proprietors... or insist that they meet you on the commencing up of their highway for the reason that they have made it under passable. final- as quickly as you have that innovations locked down, it's time to speak to an area representative of your coverage employer. they must be attentive to the newest coverages presented. (Sorry, did no longer seize the revealed you mentioned) good success, wish this has helped - J

Answer 3

As you said in your rather long-winded discourse... "There is very little traffic....about 20 cars a day."

That's just not enough traffic for the local government to justify spending taxpayer's money for paving and maintaining your road. After all... There are hundreds of other roads out there that have more traffic and more need, and there's only so much money to spread around.

The only thing I could suggest is to get together with the others who live on your road and see if there's a way you all can chip in a bit to buy a couple of truck loads of gravel and a private contractor to grade your road once or twice a year.

Answer 4

Any gravel road requires maintenance, and yours is not getting it. The road owner is legally responsible for its upkeep, and if push comes to shove, you could sue and get a writ ordering that the road be prepared. But this is of course costly; still, the threat of such an action may help.

Answer 5

Move house,surely the road was a dirt road when you moved there.Your long winded question reminds me of people who buy houses near airports then start whining about the noise.I live on a gravel road too.

Answer 6

You know how hard it is to fight the establishment--so maybe you three families could go in and buy some gravel to put on the road--if ur waiting on the government u will be waiting for years.

Answer 7

talk to your county road commissioner about it there the ones who should be maintaining it right now,they will repair it if everyone complains about it,but it usually takes more than one person to get this done,we got ours black topped ,after complaining about it,but it takes a while,the sooner you get the process stared the sooner it will get repaired,good luck with it,i hope this helps.