HOUSTON – Driving in Houston can feel like an obstacle course.
From cracked pavement to deep potholes capable of damaging tires, rims and suspensions, rough roads are a common frustration for drivers across the city.
“I mean, they’re awful,” Houston resident Arighno Das said. “They’re huge. They’re everywhere.”
Das, who moved to Houston from Chicago about a year ago, said some roads in Houston are worse than what he experienced in the Midwest.
“I’ve come to get used to it,” said Michael Crawford.
Houston Public Works says repairs happen fast
But Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi says the city is fixing reported potholes faster than many residents realize.
“We resolve 99% of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day,” Macchi said in a podcast hosted by the Houston Mayor’s office.
Macchi called Houston’s pothole program “the best in the country,” saying public works leaders from other major cities regularly ask how Houston repairs potholes so quickly.
“When we talk about what we’re doing in Houston, 99 and a half percent almost by the next business day, they look at me and say, ‘How do you do that?’” Macchi said.
According to Macchi, residents reporting potholes through Houston’s 311 system helps crews respond quickly.
“Without a doubt, where potholes are concerned, 311 is the best place to go,” Macchi said. “We have an expedited service, folks that are monitoring it continually.”
Macchi said crews immediately inspect reported issues to determine whether they are standard potholes or larger infrastructure problems.
“If it’s generally bigger than a pizza box, then it’s going to require a more extensive repair,” Macchi said.
He said larger roadway failures can involve sinkholes, collapsing sewer lines, subsidence or sinking manholes.
KPRC 2 tested the city’s pothole claims
KPRC 2 set out to test the city’s claim by reviewing potholes reported Monday through Houston’s 311 system and revisiting many of those locations Tuesday.
Locations across Houston were checked, including Bellaire Boulevard, West Bellfort Avenue, North Shepherd Drive and several streets in the Heights.
At most locations visited, the potholes had already been patched.
City records reviewed by KPRC 2 showed multiple potholes marked repaired by the following business day, including locations at 10804 Bellaire Blvd., 8201 W. Bellfort Ave., 241 W. 19th St., 303 W. 19th St., 2002 N. Shepherd Dr. and E. 7th 1/2 Street at Studewood Street.
Some residents initially doubted the city’s claim.
“Yeah, there’s no way 99% of the potholes not happening,” Houston Heights resident Garth Kemp said before hearing about KPRC 2’s findings.
But after seeing freshly repaired potholes in his neighborhood, Kemp reconsidered.
“Well, then I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt,” Kemp said. “These two right there, I wouldn’t have noticed unless you stopped me.”
Macchi said the city’s response times are part of a larger effort to rebuild trust in local government.
“We want folks to have confidence that when we say call 311 and we’ll take care of it, that it actually happens,” Macchi said.
Some roads need more than a quick patch
Not every problem could be solved with a simple pothole repair.
At 1500 Yale St., what appeared to be a pothole was actually a sinking manhole cover requiring more extensive work.
Another location along El Paseo Street near the Texas Medical Center remained heavily damaged Tuesday, with potholes stretching across much of the roadway despite signs of previous patchwork repairs.
KPRC 2 placed a camera inside one of the potholes while vehicles drove over it without touching the equipment because of the depth.
Das questioned whether repeated patching is enough for roads in poor condition.
“I think sometimes you just have to fix it,” Das said. “Just putting Band-Aids over it is not the solution.”
Macchi acknowledged potholes are often signs of broader roadway problems.
“Potholes, as I like to remind people, are symptoms of larger problems,” Macchi said.
Houston’s street system is massive
According to Macchi, Houston maintains roughly 16,000 lane miles of roadway.
“That’s the distance of Houston to Tokyo and back,” he said.
Macchi said the city has increasingly focused on proactive repairs instead of waiting for residents to report potholes, which is outlined on the city’s Pothole Tracker.
“This year alone, we’ve already dealt with almost 25,000 potholes that we have proactively taken care of,” Macchi said. “You compare that to the ones that are reported through 311 and you’re only about 1,500.”
Macchi said Houston has also expanded pavement preservation efforts aimed at extending the life of city streets and reducing long-term deterioration.
“We’ve got a lot more that we can do,” Macchi said. “But we’re glad that you were able to prove it, that when we say we really do it, we really did it.”
Have a pothole on your street? Report it to 311 here.