Transcript: Mayor de Blasio And DOT Commissioner Trottenberg Launch Comprehensive Plan To Battle Potholes As The Record-Setting Winter Continues

February 20, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Okay. Is everyone good? Well, I've gotten a valuable lesson today. A new career path has opened up to me. I want to thank this great crew for giving me my first lessons in pothole filling. I want to thank them for the extraordinary work they do for the people of New York City every day. I just want to talk about some of the other key people here. But I just want to start by saying, the men and women who work for DOT do extraordinary work. It's often unsung work. You're going to hear about some amazing statistics today about what they've done to make this city safer and to make this city work better. As you hear the statistics, think about real people who do the work, and under often very tough circumstances. They are working on a very rigorous schedule. It's often very bad weather, and they keep doing it. And we owe them a debt of gratitude. And I'm - for me it's an honor to spend some time with the people that make this city work so well. I want to thank DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for her tremendous leadership. We've been spending a lot of time together lately because we're doing a lot of important initiatives together. I want to thank you for all you're doing. Someone I've had the honor of meeting for the first time today, DOP - DOT, excuse me - Deputy Commissioner for Roadway Repair and Maintenance Galileo Orlando. Yes, you got that right, his first name is Galileo. And he has, as a leader of the agency, one of the toughest jobs in New York City because he has to make sure that these potholes are filled constantly against all the odds. So Galileo, thank you for your tremendous leadership. I want to thank another man who constantly is making things happen, the director for Queens roadway maintenance at DOT, Tim McReady. Tim, thank you very much for your leadership. And my new coach, Ralston Burnett. His title is supervisor highway repairer. I want to thank Ralston for your leadership. Thank you for [inaudible]. And then some elected officials who represent the area, Council Member Liz Crowley and Assemblywoman Margaret Markey. Thank you for all you do for the community and for joining us today. You're [inaudible] cheering section over there, I like that. I don't know. Some people were saying how does this compare to snow shoveling? I like - I like a bright, sunny day to do it. So I like it so far better than snow shoveling. This winter has really challenged the men and women of the DOT. They have had extraordinary problems thrown at them. Every day it's been unpredictable. What has been absolutely predictable, however, is they have to go to work, they have to fill potholes. And they've been doing it on a schedule such as we've never seen before. So, another example of our extraordinary public workforce that keeps going through thick and thin. And they've really shown us what they're made of, dealing with this amount of adversity. Now last month - I want to give another example of what DOT is all about. Some of you were there when we greeted the crew that was working on the Major Deegan Expressway the day that a small plan in distress was seeking a place to land. I have been in public life in New York City a long time. I think I've rarely met more creative public servants than the folks on that crew who figured out that there was a plane in danger and literally blocked off the Deegan Expressway to give that plane a place to land and saved three lives on the plane and potentially many other lives on the ground in the process. So, the men and women of DOT do extraordinary work all the time. And it is my honor to give them some of the credit that they deserve. And it's very much about our safety. Potholes mean a lot of things to us. But one of the things they most - have to be understood as is a danger. A car can hit a pothole and spin out of control. Obviously there's untold damage done to vehicles by potholes. So every time a pothole is filled - I said this to the crew - every time they fill a pothole, they are protecting people's lives, protecting people's property. That's a very, very fundamental service they provide. Now, the winter of 2014 has literally made it into the record books. I wish it hadn't, but it has. And when it comes to the book related to this winter, it is a book we would like to close as quickly as possible. On Tuesday, we broke the record for the most snow over the first two months of the year in the history of this city. And the historic amounts of snow have also managed unprecedented wear and tear on our streets for a lot of reasons. Obviously with the snow came greater use of chains on tires, greatly intensified use of snowplows - that has a very big impact on our roads - the freeze and thaw cycles are very damaging to our roads. Salt - absolutely necessary to keep this city moving - but it makes the job at DOT tougher. So all of this adds up to a lot more potholes, a lot more quickly, that cause tremendous damage to vehicles and obviously, potentially, a danger to people's lives. And so this reality has caused us to have to have a performance level for DOT that we've never - literally never - seen before. They've been called to achieve something that has never been done before and to break records in terms of the filling of potholes given that they've got so many more to deal with. I want to thank Commissioner Trottenberg and her whole team. She's only been on the job about a month but she has already put herself in the record books - and her team has - for the speed and number of repairs that they've done. And they are just getting started with this extraordinary work. Since January 1st, here's today's numbers - since January 1st, DOT has filled a record 113,131 potholes. That is a stunning amount of work in less than seven weeks. 113,131 potholes. It's the most potholes ever filled at this point in the year in the history of New York City. It's more than double the number of potholes that were filled by this date in either of the past two winters. It includes nearly 27,000 potholes filled right here in Queens. Ladies? So we are very focused on the needs of Queens in this operation. And all the while, we have brought down the response time. From the time we get a complaint about a pothole to the time it's filled, has been brought down to record lows. So this team at DOT has really done something amazing here and it suggests something great for the people of this city in terms of safer and better travel. And it's not just that DOT is working harder, and that these folks sacrifice a lot to get the job done, it's also that they're working smarter. Together with our team at City Hall, Commissioner Trottenberg has worked to develop a comprehensive pothole and maintenance plan to make road repairs faster and more efficient. She's launched the first ever Winter Weather Repaving Program - not just filling potholes, but fully repaving a road - and we've already seen that put in effect on the Belt Parkway and on the FDR. There's a March pothole blitz that has been planned to go all over neighborhood streets, residential streets in the city, and fill potholes at this continued unprecedented level. And DOT is using new and better materials - high-tech materials - that allow the workers to repave streets even in the dead of winter. So we're doing some new and powerful things here. Commissioner Trottenberg will go into some of the detail of what constitutes [inaudible] but something I know all New Yorkers will welcome. It will mean smoother roads. It will mean the kind of efficiency that people expect from government agencies. it means that we are constantly working- to stretch-uh-the revenue we have farther and make the biggest impact we can with the dollars we have. We take nothing for granted. One of the reasons I chose Polly Trottenberg as the DOT Commissioner. She looks at things with fresh eyes. She looks at inevitably as does her team. We're gonna continue to work to improve our maintenance programs all over the city. So a word in Spanish and then I'll call up Commissioner Trottenberg. Desde el primero de enereo- emes tapado mas de cien mil huecos-en la calle. Nunca antes la cuidad hacia-tapado tanto huecos en este periodo del ano. El Departamento De Transporte no solo esta trabajando mas fuerto- si no mas inteligentemente. Hoy estamos anunciando importantes cambios en la operación Del Departamento De Transporte para mejorar el estado de las calles de las cuidad. With that, we welcome Commissioner Trottenberg.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg: Thank you Mr. Mayor. And I wanted to reiterate the thanks that you have given to the amazing team at New York City DOT. I know-I much- further

Mayor: Right.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Remember we share a podium it's always a little bit of a challenge. [inaudible] and all the rest of the team. The mayor said, I have actually not even been on the job for a month, but I have been-so impressed and grateful for the hard work that these public servants- have put in this winter. This winter has been a challenge and I have to say that so far the team has risen to the challenge in every way. The mayor said that, "nearly five feet of snow this winter and further more freezing [inaudible] clouds- all the things that really can make a lot of wear and tear on our roadways-but this proves the mayor has said has already filled over 113 potholes and as you can see, when they're not slowed down by the two of us, they a very efficient crew.

Mayor: [inaudible].

[Laughter]

Commissioner Trottenberg: But, I want to let you know, we are not resting easy. We know there is going to be a lot more to do. I can tell you that the pothole complaints are coming in fast and furious. And I can promise you, as the mayor said, we are going to come up with every new and innovative way we can to stay on top of the problem. We hear from the drivers of the city. We know you're counting on us. We want to make the streets safe and as smooth as we can for you. Because that is why today we are announcing, basically, a six-step plan with a bunch of things. I'll go over a few of them. As the mayor mentioned, we are starting with more pothole blitzes. And we are not waiting 'till March. And we are actually going to start with one this weekend where we will get all our crews out there and we just pave as much potholes as fast as we can. We are also, as the mayor said, going to do some repaving on some of the worst roads where we need to go above and beyond just filling potholes; smooth out and repave the whole surface. We are also using some really cutting-edge new materials and we are going to continue to look for cutting-edge materials and technology. One of them you can see on the ground here. We are also going to partner with some of the local engineering schools in New York City and national experts to see if there are any other technologies or operational improvements we can make. We are open for ideas. We have heard some from members of the press and we are happy to take more. And we will evaluate everything that comes our way. And if there is something we can do more efficiently, we will. We're also going to make sure that these terrific crews that they have the best technology that they need. One of the things that we are constantly improving is our use of mapping and other techniques. We are going to continue to push ahead of that. I have asked DOT's Chief Technology Officer to look into everything he can to give them the tools that they need. And finally, we are going to partner, as we always do, with the Department of Sanitation. To see how we can work together to make sure, as they do their important work - in particularly with snow removal - how we can make sure we minimize the wear and tear on our roads. And I just want to say - for me - it has been wonderful to work for Commissioner Doherty and his team. I know that - I am grateful - to the DOT crew for their hard work this winter but I am also grateful for the Department of Sanitation. They have had a tough one as well. So let me just say also Mr. Mayor: Thank you for your leadership and the support and resources you have given us as we know this has been a challenging winter. And I am very grateful for all of the help you have given the Department of Transportation. Thank you.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Well, let me start and then Commissioner Trottenberg may want to add. We - first of all, the important reality of the DOT is we have asked them to innovate within - first within their existing budget to find ways to get as much done as they can, and they've answered that call tremendously. So as I said, they are not only working harder, they're working smarter. They are stretching their dollars. They are finding ways to get a lot more done more quickly. We are adding some additional resources for this fiscal year because the impact of this winter has been so great. But really, this is about the - first and foremost, the managerial capacity at all levels of the DOT, where they're finding a way to get a lot done within the resources they have. Grace?

Question: So every year the city furloughs [inaudible] pothole repair work March 1. Has the city considered ending that so that they would stay on year-round? And can you speak to sort of the nature of that sort of cycle, where they're sort of sidelined for a few months [inaudible]

Commissioner Trottenberg: Yeah. And just so you know, New York City's DOT, like transportation agencies all over the country, you have a certain number of seasonal workers, which is typically in the dead of winter. There's a certain amount of roadway work that you don't do due to bad temperatures and snow, etcetera. So, the folks that are seasonal workers that don't work for the three months of the dead of winter are actually roadway repaving crews. They don't typically do pothole work. And - now, I've seen the stories. Honestly, we have actually the crew we need to do the pothole work. Bringing those folks on, unfortunately mostly they would have to sit idle. We're going to pull them again as soon as the weather turns a bit warmer and get them back to work on the roadways. But we actually don't really need them right now for the next couple months.

Question: [inaudible]

Commissioner Trottenberg: Yes. Right now I'm happy to say we are running under two days, but I will - I will admit that the complaints are coming in very fast, and the terrific crew you see here, we are going to do everything we can to keep the response time as fast as we can. But - I promise you we'll do our best, but I'm sure as the pothole complaints come in, we'll see if we can keep it below two days.

Mayor: Marcia?

Question: Mr. Mayor, I've noticed that some of the potholes have fallen in and [inaudible]

Mayor: [inaudible]

Question: I've noticed that some potholes have fallen in because of the constant process of freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw. And I'm wondering how much of a problem is that for DOT because we're not done with the winter yet and we can probably look forward to more of the high temperatures, low temperatures like that.

Commissioner Trottenberg: That is a very good question. And certainly, you know, being asked the question, how quickly are we responding? We're trying to fill potholes as quickly as we hear about them. But it's true, freezing, thawing, plows can unfortunately sometimes tear them up again. Today is obviously a warm day. I'm hearing the snow melt, which is good news. As soon as the weather really warms up and we get out of the freeze-thaw cycle, then, you know, our program will really stick. And hopefully every pothole we fix will stay fixed.

Question: [inaudible]

Commissioner Trottenberg: It's - I mean, it's been a problem. This has been a tough winter. I mean we've had, again, I think seven storms, a lot of freezing and thawing. New York - actually, one of the issues here in New York, we're sort of in a temperate area where you get a lot of freezing and thawing as opposed even to cities north of us where things stay frozen. And that makes it a much bigger challenge in terms of potholes.

Mayor: In the vein of stopping to smell the roses, I just hope everyone will take a brief moment to listen to the sound of snow melting. It makes me very happy. Melissa?

Question: It says that you've filled more than twice as many potholes already this year than you did at the same time last year. So can you give us a sense of how much of that is more than twice as many actually potholes versus you just filling earlier in the season? And on that subject, are you already using that new material that can be used in the colder weather?

Mayor: Define your question again. 

Question: [inaudible] potholes or just that you're also filling them sooner because you have more than twice as many fills during the first seven weeks of the year.

Mayor: The statistic is based on the overall -

Commissioner Trottenberg: Right. I mean, we're filling them as they come in and they're coming in fast. Much faster than they did last winter, which was much milder.

Question: [inaudible] that can be used in the colder weather. Is it already in use or-

Commissioner Trottenberg: Yes. And we're hoping that material's actually going to make the potholes that much more durable. And it works better in colder weather.

Mayor: Ok, who hasn't gotten one? Did you get one? You got one already, right? Or no? Ok, go ahead.

Question: What is the primary means of identifying these potholes [inaudible]?

Mayor: 3-1-1 complaints. Yes. 3-1-1 complaints. That your central - right, 3-1-1 complaints.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: So we've said the Belt and the FDR so far you've done pieces of - is there anything else you plan to do in the immediate term?

Commissioner Trottenberg: I can mention a couple here in Queens. 159th Avenue. Beach Channel Drive.

Mayor: Street pavings.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Resurfacings, yes. And I think in the, you know, we - we're going to probably put out in the next couple days a very comprehensive list of all the boroughs and where we're going to go now in our next set of repaving projects. And obviously we'll let you know. Queens ones - new ones - 159th Ave and Beach Channel Drive.

Mayor: 159th from 79th St to 80th St?

Commissioner Trottenberg: To 80th. Beach Channel Drive at Beach 54th St. And there will be more to come in Queens.

Mayor: OK. Media questions. Media questions, media questions. Yes.

Question: I'm sorry if this is a repeat of that question - this weekend you said there was going to be pothole fillings. You were going to go out and [inaudible]. Can you just tell us where that's going to be?

Commissioner Trottenberg: That's going to be citywide in all boroughs. I think one thing I mentioned that one of the ways we determine where to fill potholes is 3-1-1. But we also have our crews so as they drive around and they see where parts of the road are damaged, they'll go fill those as well. So I think we'll be in every borough. I don't know if we can give you the specific list quite yet.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: No, for this fiscal year. Current fiscal year. 14. 14 only. Because this situation now - you just heard what's happened here, the amount of potholes unprecedented - so we thought we had to add some additional resources to tide them over and that's just for Fiscal 14.

Question: Do you have a [inaudible]

Mayor: $7.3 million.

Question: [inaudible] amount [inaudible]

Mayor: No. Yup.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: 50 crews. Stay on-topic. What we got? Media questions, yes? Media? No. I couldn't tell why you're way over there. Ok.

Question: I was wondering [inaudible] how long [inaudible]

Mayor: [inaudible]

Commissioner Trottenberg: Yeah, I don't know if there was any magic. This was one that came in yesterday and we wanted to try and do one where we could close off the street and not block traffic and, you know, get in the way of normal traffic operations. And, it just seemed a good neighborhood to come fill a pothole.

Question: [inaudible]

Trottenberg: It takes a couple minutes. It depends on the size. But what the crews - they're - these guys are pros - they fill potholes pretty quickly.

Question: [inaudible] yeah. Main roads that people drive on in New York City are maintained by the state - the highways and [inaudible] the off-ramp, the on-ramp [inaudible]. Why doesn't the city DOT coordinate with the state DOT to take care of some of these major areas of [inaudible]?

Commissioner Trottenberg: That is a very good question. And I'm happy to say, we have been talking to the state at all levels, with my counterpart and with the - our counterparts of our roadway experts. And we're working together with them to figure out how we can come up with the best maintenance plan for some of the roads. [inaudible] One, I'll mention for example, the FDR drive. Ownership between the city and the state passes back and forth 10 times on that road. So, we definitely have some jurisdictional issues to work through, but they've been a terrific partner -

Mayor: To clarify that, you mean depending on where you are on the FDR.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Depending on where you are. Even almost sort of in a span of a couple blocks. The city owns it, the state owns it, the city owns it, the state owns it. So that's a good question and we're working closely with them.

Mayor: [inaudible] over this side before we go back over to this - okay anything on this? Go ahead, Marcia?

Question: I wonder if we could ask Galileo how you did filling the potholes?

Mayor: Galileo, they want - they want you to discuss the fine points of my technique.

Galileo Orlando, DOT Deputy Commissioner for Roadway Repair and Maintenance: They did great. They did great. There's a real future for him in it.

Mayor: A real future, see? Thank you, Galileo.

[Laughter]

Mayor: I have a fallback profession if I need it. Okay, last call on this topic? Last call, this topic. Going once, going twice? Michael?

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: The pothole filling aspect? Yes, I found it quite engaging. It's a beautiful day. It's nice to be outdoors. It's nice to see something that's really working. And I really appreciate the people who work for this city. And I have to say, there's a joy in this job to actually shine the light on some people who don't get enough credit. So, this is a very positive part of the job that I enjoy. Last call on this topic? Going once, going twice. Okay, off topic? Okay, Henry we got to you already. Yes, sir?

Question: Could you please respond to the Comptroller's assessment of your budget [inaudible] contracts with [inaudible]

Mayor: We think what we're doing is the right approach given the great uncertainties we're facing. As I said in the budget address last week, we have uncertainties in terms of the federal government, in terms of the state government, and most especially with 152 open labor contracts, the most that any mayor has ever faced. We've structured our budget proposal for fiscal responsibility. And now begins the long process of trying to resolve a lot of those uncertainties moving forward. So, I think the comptroller is right to say there's a lot of challenges ahead, but we're confident that we're starting in the right place with this preliminary budget.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: It's not a - It's not pertinent to the discussion if that will happen going forward. That contract - I just want to make clear - referred to the years 2005 to 2007. It's really from an entirely different time frame than all the other contracts we're talking about. Many of the municipal contracts that are open are from the last few years. Some, as I said last week, go back as far as 2008. That is the group we're discussing in the 152 open contracts. This was an old business item that had to be resolved, but it is entirely separate. Yes Grace?

Question: [inaudible] negotiating expired contracts [inaudible] what can you tell us about the plan [inaudible]

Mayor: Well I've said many times - I've said many times. You know, we start with the assumption we want to get this done, to the maximum extent possible, during calendar year 2014. Now 152 contracts create a very complex dynamic. So I've never said we could guarantee a timeline. That would not be the truth. Our goal is to get them done - to the maximum extent possible - in 2014. The earlier, the better. But it's a very, very complicated dynamic. Again, one that no mayor before has ever faced. And I will level with the people of this city that we know it will take time and we'll keep people updated as we make progress. But the only thing I can tell you is our goal is get the maximum extent possible done in 2014.

Question: By 2014, you mean the calendar year?

Mayor: The calendar year. This year. Yes.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Well, as for the official who stepped down, we thank her for her service. We are looking at the entire dynamic of Sandy recovery. We obviously feel that we have to do a lot better going forward. So it's something we're going to be talking about publicly in the coming weeks - how we are assessing the state of play and what we intend to do to strengthen our efforts. I'm not, obviously, comfortable with the fact that so many people have not been able to get back into their homes. Now some of that is because of very complex federal rules but we want to find every way we can to do better. So we'll have a lot more to say on that in the coming weeks.

Question: [inaudible] State of the City you mentioned the comprehensive review that you are undertaking [inaudible]. Can you tell us a little bit more about whether that involves state or federal government planning as well [inaudible] and whether there's a public element to it [inaudible]?

Mayor: Well, we're doing an internal review of what we can control. We obviously are constantly talking with our federal and state partners. So I think what we want to come back with and make public is an action plan that we know we can achieve in terms of the city's efforts. We're going to constantly push the federal government and the state government to work with us as flexibly as possible. But really what we want to do is assess all the city's actions and determine how we can me more effective going forward.

Question: [inaudible] detail regarding the bishop's arrest [inaudible] City Hall and the NYPD have thus far refused to [inaudible]. Have you [inaudible] the transparency [inaudible]

Mayor: We're going to follow all the typical FOIL protocols when it comes to that. I said - I've covered this topic, but we will follow all the typical FOIL protocols.

Question: Mr. Mayor, you've made it very clear that you want to get rid of horse and carriages and replace them with the hybrid cars -

Mayor: Yeah.

Question: In September during a campaign stop, you promised a carriage driver [inaudible] keep [inaudible] promise.

Mayor: Well we're going to be talking, and I'm certain I'll look at the stables. But more importantly, we're going to talk to folks in that industry because we want them to be part of the solution. What's not negotiable from my point of view is, we very much believe it's time to end the use of horse carriages in this city. I've made abundantly clear over the last year. We're going forward with that plan. I know Speaker Mark-Viverito feels the same way. But we also said we want to work with the existing workers in that industry to find the maximum opportunity for them. So we will meet with them. I'm certain we'll look at their workplaces. But the bottom line is, we know where we're going on this and we'll be engaging in regular discussions to get the plan final.

Question: Your administration [inaudible] the second community development block grant application due in March. Initially the Bloomberg administration had set the timetable a little bit further up on this. You guys have pushed it back to get this going. I just wanted to see if you had done a review of the plan that the Bloomberg administration had done [inaudible] planning on changing anything in the application?

Mayor: Again, we're going to have a much more detailed explanation for you see of our plan. As I said, in areas of resiliency, there was a lot I agreed with the Bloomberg administration on. In some of the response to Sandy I had very definite disagreements. So we're doing a review and then we're going to come forward with an action plan. Thanks everyone.