For anyone who has spent time dodging craters on Houston roads, this bold claim may come as a surprise: The director of Houston Public Works says the city’s pothole program is “the best in the country.”
Houston Public Works (HPW) Director Randy Macchi, interviewed for the May 15 episode of Mayor John Whitmire’s podcast 901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor’s Office, made an assertion likely to raise eyebrows among Houstonians who know the city’s pothole-ridden roads all too well.
“Houston’s potholes program is the best in the country,” Macchi told host Owen Conflenti. “We resolve 99 percent of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day.”
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Labeling the resolution timeline “incredible,” Macchi said colleagues nationwide have asked him how the department is able to fix potholes so quickly.
“There’s a commitment and a dedication,” Macchi said. “There’s also some resources to back that up.”
A large pothole and a section of broken asphalt near Redwood and Myrtle is shown in need of repair on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Houston. HPW director recently claimed Houston’s pothole program is the best in the country.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
Macchi identified potholes as “symptoms” of a larger problem, adding the issue offered city engineers “great opportunities” to develop longer-term solutions. The HPW director, who has served in his role since 2024, pointed to ongoing city efforts, like the Pavement Preservation Program.
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“It’s like my folks used to say, if you’ll take care of it, it’ll last you, and that’s no different with our streets,” Macchi said. “There’s challenges of course, but that’s up to us to be innovative in how to solve them.”
HPW did not immediately respond to Chron’s request for comment by the time of publication.
What city data shows
As of Sunday, 377 pothole service requests submitted to the city’s 311 Helpline in 2026 were filled by the next business day, according to the city’s tracker. Only one resident-reported pothole was not immediately serviced.
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In the last week, the city reportedly filled 1,374 potholes proactively and another nine at resident request. So far in 2026, the city has proactively filled a total of 21,843 potholes in addition to the 378 reported by residents.
The city uses a broad definition of a pothole, classifying it as “any area of missing or severely deteriorated pavement that is up to about 5 feet by 5 feet,” according to the city website.
Macchi recently told the Houston Business Journal the department deals with about 55,000 potholes annually and spends between $5 million to $6 million on repairs.
Officials continually point to Houston’s extreme weather, aging infrastructure and growing traffic volume as key challenges.
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A large pothole and a section of broken asphalt near Coral and Parson is shown in need of repair on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Houston. HPW director recently claimed Houston’s pothole program is the best in the country.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
Houston roads rank poorly, but paving progresses
While Macchi labels Houston’s pothole program the best nationwide, local Houston roadways recently ranked as the worst among major metros in the state.
A December 2025 analysis by the Transportation Research and Innovation Program found that 51 percent of locally maintained roads in the Houston area were in poor condition. Roads rated in “poor condition” typically had significant cracking, potholes or uneven pavement.
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To Macchi’s credit, Houston has reportedly made significant progress within the last year. HPW has rehabilitated almost 750 lane miles of roadway in the last 10 months, according to Macchi.
“That’s more than double the best the city ever did over a 15-month period previously,” Macchi said. “We’re making some real strides, we’re making real progress.”