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East Oakland Residents Spray Paint 'Fix Me' On Potholes, Demand Repairs On Rough Roads

OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – Residents of an Oakland neighborhood said they're getting a raw deal from the city when it comes to road repairs.

A 2013 study found 60 percent of Oakland's streets are in poor or fair condition. Anthony McRae said it's worst in East Oakland. "I myself have a claim against the city right now for $5,000 because I damaged my car driving through a pothole," McRae told KPIX 5.

It's hard not to notice driving down this street as potholes pockmark every piece of the road here. The city did come out to fix three blocks a couple of weeks ago as part of its citywide pothole blitz, but neighbors said they never finished the job.

On Wednesday, residents came out to circle the small craters with spray paint and wrote "fix me" next to the potholes.

Oakland Potholes
East Oakland mark potholes and write "Fix Me" with spray paint on 92nd Street on July 15, 2015. (CBS)

Kamara Wilson, a volunteer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, said the city has the money thanks to Measure BB, which is supposed to fund road improvements.

"We know that there are funds available to fix these streets and that's why we're here today," Wilson said.

She says Oakland is funneling Measure BB funds into wealthier communities. A map of Oakland's pavement prioritization plan shows purple lines indicating new streets. They're just about everywhere, except a gaping hole in East Oakland.

Oakland Pothole Prioritzation
Map of Oakland Pavement Prioritization Plan. (CBS)

Even more concerning, neighbors said a big chunk of Measure BB funds, up to $60 million, could be used to build Coliseum City while the streets of East Oakland are left in shambles.

McRae said it's proof of what he already knows, that there are two Oaklands. "Over on this side, East Oakland in the flatlands, there's no money coming over here," he said.

A call by KPIX 5's Christin Ayers to Oakland's Department of Public Works about the potholes was not immediately returned.

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