JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A bumpy ride is turning into a dangerous commute for folks in Jacksonville’s Dinsmore community.
You don’t have to spend long by Garden Street to hear a car go "da-dunk" on a pothole.
For the hundreds of people who live off the road, that “da-dunk” is how they start and finish their days.
“Dinsmore deserves better than this," said Vincent Smith, who lives off Garden Street.
There’s nothing like a jolt on the ride to work in the morning.
Only for Smith, that jolt doesn’t come from coffee.
“The potholes have always been a problem, but it’s gotten worse over the past couple of months and it needs a complete repave," said Smith.
Smith said his wife’s car had the splash guard ripped off by a pothole on Garden Street.
A First Coast News employee also had her hubcaps torn and a flat tire from a nail on the worn down road.
The City of Jacksonville issued a statement about Garden Street:
There have been a few 630-CITY requests, including Mr. Smith, over the past six weeks for pothole and road fixes on Garden Street. City staff who have visited the site have spoken with residents and heard their concerns. COJ Public Works has also visited the site with Councilman White to discuss the situation. The City is in agreeance that this road was not made for this much heavy traffic from large vehicles, and we have been working to hold the contractor, Roberts Diesel Service Inc, accountable. This includes a stop work order to prevent further damage and a requirement to restore the roadway at the completion of their construction. Let us know if you have any other questions or need more information.
Robert’s Diesel Service has spent the past few months hauling dirt down Garden Street to a construction site for hundreds of new homes.
First Coast News sat down with the owner, Robert Taylor, to hear his side, asking: "Do you feel like your trucks are responsible for these potholes?"
“Some of them, they are," said Tayler. "But, the road is not in working condition. They need to widen it and make it where it is.”
Taylor says he has a million dollars worth of construction equipment just sitting due to the stop work order.
“The last that I talked with them they said if we came down and signed something saying we’d maintain the road, then they would lift the stop order," said Taylor. "I mean, I won’t make any money hauling dirt if I’m going to maintain the city road.”
Taylor hasn’t yet agreed to that arrangement with the city.
“We've got to come to a conclusion of some kind," said Taylor. "The city feels like it’s my responsibility. I feel like it’s the city’s responsibility.”
Smith doesn’t care who fixes it, so long as something gets done.
“This road is just unacceptable, and it’s dangerous," said Smith.
Jacksonville City Councilman Randy White represents the district and said he rode around with public works and neighbors to see the issue for himself.
He agreed it’s in tough shape and needs to be widened, and that it’s certainly on the city’s radar.
However, there’s no timeline on when Garden Street will be repaved at this point.