The Nebraska Department of Roads hasn't set a maintenance schedule for streets near the university. The city's Engineering Services Division does repairs on many of the major roads and thoroughfares but also has yet to set a maintenance schedule for streets close to UNL.
Steven Faust, project manager for Engineering Services, said that arterial roads are repaired on an as-needed basis, but the decision rests with the Department of Roads.
"On a year or two basis, we'll drive vans loaded with electronic equipment over some of the questionable areas to measure the roughness of the roads," he said. "But really, we deal more with utilities that lie below the surface of the road than the actual paving of the road."
Improvements such as crosswalk placement or the widening of roads fall under the jurisdiction of the Capital Improvement Program, which operates primarily in Lincoln and is sanctioned by the Department of Roads.
While there is significant work done on roads such as I-80, many of the smaller side streets have been neglected the past couple of years. Some students – especially those who drive on campus – are feeling lack of uniform road care.
"Holistically, the roads here are overregulated in that there's a stoplight every single block, and if you hit one, you hit them all," said Michael Beatty, a freshman biochemistry major. "The roads have visible tire indentations and generally (are) not comfortable to drive on. Streets in Omaha are much better kept, despite the much larger population and far heavier flow of traffic."
The Street Maintenance Office has a hot line for reporting major potholes and other hazards.
For more information or to report hazards, contact the Street Maintenance Office at 441-7701.
alekzayasdorchak@dailynebraskan.com
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