Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New York: The Big Apple, Gotham, And Now "Pothole City"
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 7, 2011
Modified Feb 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 7, 2011
Modified Feb 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This winter hasn't been kind to New York. Cars were broken as owners attempted to rescue them from an icy death. Train cars have been sent out of commission. And now the city's roads are becoming undriveable. The DOT has had to fill more than 45,000 potholes, cave ins and the like (know your street defects!) since the first storm hit in December. One tow truck driver told the Times, “New York is Pothole City right now. Everyone is driving through an obstacle course. These streets will take your car away in a heartbeat."
City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan was out in Queens fixing potholes on Friday for a photo op to show her department's commitment to filling up the streets. She told NY1, "The severity of the storms and the amount of snow that’s been dropped on our streets, it’s tough. And then we have the freeze-thaw cycles that go along with it, so it’s been a very difficult season for our streets." The DOT has also been the subject of some criticism lately, from Marty Markowitz suggesting that they're spending too much time worrying about bike lanes, and Bloomberg saying, "I don't think we've done a very good job at explaining and planning and dialoguing." And Bloomberg is a man who knows his potholes (and how to not explain things).
Last month, 311 got 1,781 calls about potholes, but Sadik-Khan says they're on top of it. “Mother Nature has thrown everything at us this winter and we’re striking back with up to 40 crews filling some 2,000 potholes every day. This work will continue throughout the winter to keep our roads in good condition and keep the local economy moving," she said.
Tagged
department of transportation
potholes
roads
winter
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man dragged to death by Subway in Brooklyn after getting caught on closing doors
The rider’s backpack got stuck during Monday’s rush hour commute
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 7:46 a.m. ET
Upper East Side braces for affordable housing fast track, and backlash from residents
A new land-use approval process could make it easier for developers to build larger apartment complexes in one of the city’s wealthiest, most densely populated neighborhoods.
By
David Brand
News
Upper East Side braces for affordable housing fast track, and backlash from residents
A new land-use approval process could make it easier for developers to build larger apartment complexes in one of the city’s wealthiest, most densely populated neighborhoods.
By
David Brand
Plan to modernize NYC's diesel-spewing produce market falls apart under Mamdani
By
Elizabeth Kim
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
By
Charles Lane
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
By
Liam Quigley
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .