Johns Creek residents reporting a pothole need to know which agency owns the road before picking up the phone.
The city's Public Works department maintains 252 miles of roads, 20 bridges and nearly 100 miles of trails and sidewalks. Residents can report potholes, downed trees, sinkholes, malfunctioning traffic signals and downed signs by calling 678-512-3200 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by filing a service request on the city's Public Works page. Brian O'Connor, Public Works director, oversees the department.
But two of the city's busiest corridors don't belong to Johns Creek.
Peachtree Parkway and Medlock Bridge Road both carry the Ga. 141 state highway designation, as the North Atlanta Star reported on Sept. 8. Those numbered routes remain part of the state highway system even as they pass through the city. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) controls the pavement and larger maintenance decisions on those stretches, though local governments may handle certain work through agreements with the state.
A pothole on Peachtree Parkway near McGinnis Ferry Road is GDOT's responsibility, not the city's. Drivers can report problems on state routes through GDOT's contact page.
How to tell who owns the road
Streets in Johns Creek fall into four categories: state highways maintained by GDOT, county roads, city streets and private roads maintained by homeowners associations (HOAs), developers or property owners. A city address does not prove the city owns the road beneath it.
That distinction explains why the city may close a service request with instructions to contact GDOT, a county department or an HOA. The request wasn't ignored. It reached the wrong agency.
Homeowners unsure whether their street is private can check their subdivision plat, closing documents or HOA covenants, according to the North Atlanta Star. A gate is a strong clue, but some ungated communities also contain privately maintained streets.
Filing a useful report
A good report gives crews a precise location: the nearest address or intersection, direction of travel and lane. "Northbound right lane of Peachtree Parkway just south of McGinnis Ferry Road" is far more useful than just a street name.
For immediate hazards such as a tree blocking the roadway or a signal gone completely dark, call 911 rather than filing an online request.
Other common calls
Streetlights in Johns Creek are maintained by the resident's utility company, not the city. Sawnee EMC customers can report outages at 770-887-2363. Water and sewer problems go to Fulton County Water Resources: 770-640-3040 for water, 404-612-3061 for sewer, according to the city's Public Works FAQ page.
Residents can check whether a road carries a state designation on GDOT's online highway maps.
