Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg Fill Administration's One-Millionth Pothole

March 7, 2016

As weather warms, DOT will quickly repair conditions on city streets and major arterial roadways, keeping motorists and pedestrians safe

Administration’s historic investment in road repaving means fewer potholes

NEW YORK––Mayor Bill de Blasio filled his Administration’s one millionth pothole in the East Village today, a symbolic gesture to mark the Mayor’s decision last year to expand the resurfacing of New York City’s streets and roads, making them safer and less bumpy.

Joining him was New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg who is in charge of repaving 2,500 lane miles by the end of the next fiscal year.

“As the weather begins to warm even slightly as we head into spring, we should expect some potholes, but New Yorkers should know DOT crews are out there fixing them seven days a week,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As with our commitment to Vision Zero, today’s milestone illustrates how hard we are working to keep ahead of potentially dangerous conditions that can do damage to a car’s axle – or even worse.”

In 2015, the Mayor announced a $1.6 billion commitment to resurface roads all over the city over the next decade, with 2,500 lane miles to be resurfaced in the first 18 months.  This past December, the Mayor announced that 1,100 miles had already been completed, including the FDR Drive, which was comprehensively repaved for the first time in 50 years – both on-time and on-budget.

“Our crews deserve enormous credit for their hard work keeping our roadways smoothly paved and safe,” said Polly Trottenberg, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation (DOT). “Mayor de Blasio’s wise investment in resurfacing has been instrumental to their success, as repaving actually prevents potholes. With smooth rides on roads like the FDR Drive for the first time in years, grateful New York drivers are really feeling the effects.”

Officially, the pothole filled today by the Mayor and Commissioner was several thousand potholes past the million-pothole milestone. Since the beginning of 2014 and through this past weekend, DOT had filled over 1.02 million potholes: 174,579 in the Bronx; 243,233 in Brooklyn; 177,046 in Manhattan; 297,352 in Queens; and 133,281 on Staten Island.

Potholes are caused by water seeping into asphalt pavement, and are worsened during New York City winters by a number of factors, including high traffic, ice, snow and other precipitation. A succession of freeze-and-thaw weather patterns can further exacerbate these conditions, making potholes more likely.

DOT produces asphalt at its two plants for both resurfacing and filling potholes: while the average pothole uses only a few pounds of asphalt, a completely repaved lane-mile uses 1,000 tons. In 2016, DOT anticipates using 1.34 million tons of asphalt, which includes approximately 7,000 tons dedicated to pothole repair.

During pothole season, which generally runs from December through June, anywhere from 25 to 75 separate DOT pothole crews are dispatched daily. The crews work in all five boroughs, responding to requests from residents and local stakeholders. For information about DOT’s ongoing work to address potholes and maintain the City’s road network, please visit www.nyc.gov/dot .

Pothole conditions should be reported immediately to The Daily Pothole or to 311.