This pothole season, let's talk about preventing them

The New York State Department of Transportation posted on social media in March that it fills more than 1 million potholes each year. That's a tip-of-the-iceberg stat.

Why? NYSDOT maintains only about 15% of New York's roads. Local governments maintain the other 85%.

If local roads are just as susceptible to potholes as state roads — which they are — then New York's 12 million drivers are likely dodging or hitting roughly 6 million potholes every year.

It's no wonder the prevalence, cost and safety risks associated with these road devils become an especially hot topic every pothole season.

The obvious question: Isn't it time we start talking about how to prevent potholes instead of just filling them?

Potholes are not the problem — they are the symptom. Much like sneezing and a runny nose are symptoms of a cold, potholes signal that a road has been neglected or treated improperly.

I have spent more than three decades working in the heavy highway industry, and am acting president and CEO of NYMaterials, a not-for-profit statewide trade association representing companies involved in the production and recycling of construction aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt used in public and commercial infrastructure projects across New York.

Transportation experts often refer to an asset management strategy called "keep the good, good." In simple terms, roads that are still in good condition should get timely maintenance to keep them that way. When maintenance is delayed too long, the pavement deteriorates past the point where simple treatments are effective and far more costly repairs become necessary.

In New York, we have not done enough to keep the good roads good. From 2020-22 the state DOT was applying about 4.1 million tons of asphalt annually, and from 2023-25 that tonnage dropped to 2.6 million tons, a 37% drop. On Long Island the drop was even worse, from 332,000 tons down to 193,000 tons, or 42% less. It's not surprising that, based on DOT's own pavement reports, we normally see a direct correlation between increased pavement work and improved road conditions.

A typical pavement maintenance cycle should occur roughly every 10 years, yet many of our roads are being pushed twice that long before receiving attention.

This leads to another common problem in infrastructure management: the wrong treatment at the wrong time. If a road has deteriorated beyond the point where maintenance is appropriate, performing basic maintenance does little more than buy a short amount of time while the underlying problem keeps getting worse.

Today, too many roads across New York have reached this condition.

The state is attempting to stretch limited resources by performing maintenance on a large number of roads. But without a significantly larger investment now, New York is losing ground. What drivers are experiencing — more potholes — is simply the visible symptom of that reality.

We are dealing with potholes today because of years of underinvestment, and the challenge is growing. Traffic volumes are only increasing. Without sustained investment, we're fighting a losing battle.

Every driver feels the consequences: in the jolt they feel behind the wheel, in vehicle repair bills, and in reduced fuel efficiency.

It is time for the governor and the State Legislature to make New York's future one with fewer potholes and smoother, safer roads.

That begins with including an additional $950 million for core NYSDOT road projects and $250 million for local roads in this year's state budget.

This guest essay reflects the views of Bruce Barkevich, the New York Construction Materials Association's acting president and CEO.