Drivers across Baton Rouge deal with potholes daily, but students at LSU say road damage on Greek Row is costing them hundreds of dollars in repairs.
Peyton Owens, an LSU student who commutes to campus for school and work, said her tire burst two weeks ago while leaving the Greek Row parking lot.
“Trying to leave and I couldn’t,” Owens said.
Replacing a tire can cost anywhere from $80 to $400. For Owens, who lives 20 minutes away from campus, her car is her only way to get to class, work, and see friends.
“Nobody is coming to pick me up,” Owens said.
Auto repair shops say pothole damage goes beyond tires. Brandie Williams, service manager at C and R Automotive Repair Shop, said they frequently see damage to undercarriages, bumpers, and other vehicle parts caused by potholes.
“Yes. Yeah, definitely a lot,” Williams said.
The city of Baton Rouge recently launched the “Pothole Posse” initiative to improve roads across the parish. However, some students are questioning when repairs will be made on LSU’s campus.
“It gives people a sense of panic to have to pull over on the side of the road and draw all that attention and call help and tell their parents they need the extra money,” Owens said.
LSU Parking and Transportation officials said they are aware of the potholes and that Greek Row is a priority area. In the meantime, they recommend drivers use caution.
“It’s recommended that you typically drive either 5, 10 or 15 but not over 15 miles per hour in a parking lot,” said Broty Stelly, marketing and communications specialist for Parking and Transportation.
Stelly said crews have filled some potholes when possible, including during winter break, but acknowledged the repairs are temporary.
“Over the winter break, we were actually able to fill some of those, but band-aids on battle scars,” Stelly said.
Stelly said repaving the roads depends on available funding.
“At the end of the day, that’s always gonna kinda come down to funding,” Stelly said.
Parking and Transportation officials said they hope to repair the roads in the near future. In the meantime, drivers who encounter potholes on campus can submit an online work request form through Facility Services or Parking and Transportation.
