| Author | Message | ||
     Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider  Post Number: 15596 Registered: 1-2003  |
I learned about microsurfacing about a year ago here on MOL. They are doing the streets near me. They did my street yesterday. Not that I mind, but why did they do it? The surface isn't any smoother. I don't really want it smoother, because I expect that will encourage speeding slightly. So what's the benefit? | ||
| mrmaplewood Citizen Username: Mrmaplewood Post Number: 404 Registered: 5-2001 |
Money. They spend X to microsurface instead of 10X to do the job correctly. And then when they get complaints that the road is not smooth, they respond that the road has been resurfaced 3 times in the last 15 years, how can you possibly complain. On the other hand, I like smooth roads. I guess my car has slightly stiffer suspension than others, and I feel every bump and utility plate. Some of the Maplewood local roads have the feel of the original dirt trails to me because there seems to be a lack of foundation under the macaddam. Others have been properly repaired and are nice. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 15603 Registered: 1-2003 |
I was figuring someone would tell me it's a way of preserving the road and keeping it going without doing a complete dig-and-repave. If that's the reason, I'd be content. I like smooth roads, but I don't want my home road to be smooth. The rougher, the better. | ||
| Jim Murphy Citizen Username: Jimmurphy Post Number: 291 Registered: 5-2001 |
Tom - be content - that's the reason. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 1616 Registered: 8-2003  |
Living on the same street as you do Tom, I have to say that what they did there yesterday has to be about the crappiest job I have ever seen. Does anyone from the town oversee the work? Eric maybe? Not only did it not smooth out bumps (how could it, it's just a new coat on top of the old bumpy road). But it's also really rough, with 1/2 inch ridges right in front of my house. Children falling from their skateboards etc. are going to add quite some business to BandAid. IMHO at least on my street this was a colossal waste of money and the street was better before yesterday. | ||
| ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 4843 Registered: 5-2001  |
I think it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. It is proof there is fat in the budget. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 6140 Registered: 1-2004  |
Don't blame Eric for the crappy job done microsurfacing the streets. The towns' Road Department didn't do it; at least not in South Orange. Some outside company in Morris County did the job. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 12612 Registered: 5-2001 |
As Jim Murphy says the microsurfacing helps to preserve the roadway. It is cost effective. When we lived in MW the Town microsurfaced our street twice and while it was kind of dusty for a few daya it preserved the road and looked pretty good. I think SO is using a different system and a different contractor. If the job they did on Ridgewood is typical I think they got, pardon the expression, screwed. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 1617 Registered: 8-2003 |
I didn't blame Eric for the bad job done, I wanted to know who on the towns side is responsible for inspecting the work done by the contractor. In the case of Plymouth Ave I think that they should get the contractor back and make it right. | ||
| sportsnut Citizen Username: Sportsnut Post Number: 2570 Registered: 10-2001  |
Hey at least they didn' t put that crappy stone down again. I agree that Plymouth was done poorly. When did they notify us that this was going to be done? I had two of those things that they hang on your doorknob telling us. One had a date of 7/5 the other had no date and appears to have shown up the day that they started. Nothing like a little advance notice. I hate all the stuff they put down as quite a bit of it winds up on the underside of your car and is a pain to get off. | ||
| eb1154 Citizen Username: Eb1154 Post Number: 556 Registered: 5-2001 |
Answers: Micro-surfacing is done to preserve the roadway, it adds about 7 years to the roadway's life. It is a fraction of the cost of asphalt. The ridges in the middle of the road are from the overlapping of the material, this will wear down. The Assistant Engineer (Hamid Rahimi) is overseeing the project. It is the same company S.O. used. The company was warned Friday about the lack of advanced notification and was told if it happened again the job would be shut down. We are not thrilled with the work this company does either, but they were the lowest bidder and we had to go with them. The other problem is that there are only two companies that do this type of work and if we throw one company out that leaves us with only one company, and we all know what that would do to the cost. They will be re-doing Forest Rd. Eric | ||
| Montagnard Citizen Username: Montagnard Post Number: 1988 Registered: 6-2003  |
It's a shame that more people don't like the stone chips. They give the streets a very nice look, like the raked gravel we might have if we were all richer and had fewer cars. | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3820 Registered: 5-2001 |
They are doing Oakview today (as I posted in my blog per my worries that my new fridge won't be able to be delivered.) We'll see if they do any better on the actual surfacing job this time ... they did get the notices out. I did notice yesterday that they didn't put as many "Emergency No Parking" signs out as I would have expected ... notably they missed my house (one big tree) and my next door neighbor before you get to the next one. (Usually it seems like they are on every single tree and post in an affected block.) Maybe, if they haven't started yet at the appointed delivery time, that will mean I can get my fridge, but I hope it doesn't mean that somebody parks there and screws the whole thing up. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 1619 Registered: 8-2003 |
Thanks Eric, just the answer I was looking for. I understand the ridges at the seams where the coats overlap. What bugs me however is the last 1 - 2 feet from the curb. There are huge ridges there, going across the street, as if the machine didn't put enough material down or just didn't do it evenly. Is part of the job to go over it at the end with a (steam) roller? It really doesn't look like it was smoothed out at the end. | ||
| eb1154 Citizen Username: Eb1154 Post Number: 558 Registered: 5-2001 |
No rolling involved in this process. They should have a ground man smoothing along the curb line to prevent the ridges by the curb. Eric | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 9464 Registered: 5-2001  |
They're doing Essex today and we're shut down from 8:30-4. Got the notices yesterday, so no problem. I do, however, have one question: if the garbage truck can't come down the street, how will they pick up our garbage? Today is garbage day, of course and the WM guys are already Divas. If we miss today, that's two Mondays in a row. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 1620 Registered: 8-2003 |
We are on a Monday & Thursday garbadge schedule, so last week they didn't come on Monday (labor day) and then couldn't pick it up on Thurday for the street resurfacing. So on Friday morning as I was walking to the train a guy with a pick up truck was pulling out the garbage and collecting it in big heaps on the curb. Said they were making up for the day before. When I came home somehow the lazy #$% missed our garbage, so our crap hasn't been picked up for 10 days. They better get it today or I'm going to dump it in front of their office.  | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 9467 Registered: 5-2001 |
Earl - when they miss garbage, I call the office. They send someone out the next day to get it. I call if they leave one bag in the bottom. I pay for a service & I expect to get it. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 1622 Registered: 8-2003 |
I tried to call them on Saturday, the phone number that I found in the phone book got me to a menu where one of the options was 'Residential trash pickup'. As soon as I selected it the line went dead. And I have tipped these guys in the past, might just change that. |
