Politics & Government
VDOT Hotline: 1-800-FOR-ROAD
Report potholes, ask questions on VDOT's new all-purpose customer service line.
Late last year, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced the formation of a new customer service hotline that citizens can use to report transportation issues. "Report road hazards, ask transportation questions or get information related to Virginia's roads," is listed among the functions for the new customer service center.
You may have heard the radio commercials saying you can call about anything from potholes and malfunctioning traffic signals to questions about transportation projects.
The Web site did not explain what would happen after a caller leaves a message, but a statement from VDOT commissioner Greg Whirley attempted to assure the public "no citizen call will go unanswered." Not the same as "no citizen call will go unignored," but I'm prepared to give VDOT the benefit of the doubt.
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I am bringing this to everybody's attention not to break a news story—which would be 1 1/2 months late—but instead to urge Northern Virginia residents to use this number and use it often. It has been cold and there has been precipitation, and pretty soon the roads will start crumbling. If we, as citizens of the area, report potential road hazards aggressively, I harbor sincere hope that hundreds of dollars in repairs to my automobile can, potentially, be avoided—unlike last year.
The number, 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 511 should still be used to get updates on traffic and road conditions. Traffic information can be found at www.511virginia.org.
Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A word of caution: while merely two paragraphs ago I said to use the number and use it often, it serves an important function. Do not use it because you're lonely or need somebody to read you a story. Use it for its designated purpose only.
I also would like people to be aware of the political function such a hotline can provide. While I hesitate right now to wade into the never-resolved budget kerfuffles between the Virginia General Assembly and Northern Virginia, I would like to point out that the more our problems are brought to VDOT's attention, the harder it will be to ignore them. It's not a political hotline, it serves a purpose. But it's also creating a record of our local transportation concerns, of which there are plenty.
1-800-FOR-ROAD. Use it.
