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NYC Pothole Complaints Near 13,000 After Harsh Winter, With Queens Hit Hardest

City transportation officials pledge faster repairs as crews confront freeze–thaw damage.

Overview

  • New 311 data show nearly 13,000 pothole complaints so far in 2026, about a 36% increase from the same period last year, with more than 6,000 coming from Queens.
  • Queens corridors have drawn the most reports, led by Northern Boulevard (100+ since Jan. 1), Rockaway Boulevard (76) and Union Turnpike (66).
  • The DOT says it typically fills potholes within about two days, operates its own asphalt plants, and averages more than 170,000 pothole fills and 1,150 lane miles paved each year.
  • A New York Post review of 311 records found more than a quarter of this year’s complaints still listed as open, pending or in progress in recent days.
  • Local garages report rising vehicle damage — including roughly 20 pothole-related repair jobs a week in the Bronx — as salt and repeated freeze–thaw cycles accelerate pavement failure.