Cincinnati officials say they’ve filled about 5,000 potholes since the start of the year. Pothole reports, which typically involve multiple potholes, are way down this year compared to this time last year — 2,013 versus 3,251.
"This is the time of year we really, really depend on our citizens," said Jarrod Bolden, road operations superintendent. "You are out in the community every day; we are relying on you to help us identify where these potholes are."
There are three ways to report a pothole in the city:
- Call 311 for the support line (available 24/7)
- File a report on 311Cincy.org
- File a report on the 311 Cincy app
(Note: the 311 system replaces the previous "FixIt Cincy" website and app).
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The city has close to 3,000 lane miles to maintain. About 30% of the potholes reported so far in 2023 (as of April 8) have been in three neighborhoods:
- West Price Hill (532 potholes)
- Oakley (465 potholes)
- Westwood (439 potholes)
"There's just some communities that take more advantage of [311] than others," Bolden said. "But that doesn't mean that we're not looking to give everybody the same level of service."
Mayor Aftab Pureval says he and other city officials are aware of a public perception that streets in some neighborhoods are better maintained than others.
"311 is an important piece of how we prioritize potholes in communities, but it's not the only piece," Pureval said.
The Department of Public Services handles pothole repair, but the Department of Transportation and Engineering handles repaving and and preventative maintenance. The goal is to repave 100 lane miles every year, but the city hasn't reached that goal since 2016, often falling significantly short.
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The city's 52 neighborhoods are on a schedule for road repaving and preventative maintenance every three years.
