Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!
Justin Benjamin, a crew leader with the public works department in Winooski, Vermont, tamps asphalt into a pothole on East Spring Street.
Henry Epp/Marketplace

One way Oakland is fighting racial inequality? By fixing potholes

May 15, 2019
Every city must contend with potholes, but some of the streets in Oakland, California, look like they’ve survived the climactic fight in a superhero film. “Some of them [potholes] are big enough that, if it rains my little great-nephew can swim in them,” says Tracy Greene, a resident of East Oakland. In another neighborhood, Fruitvale, […]
Potholes line side streets in Fruitvale, one of Oakland's lower-income neighborhoods. The city's new $100 million road paving plan emphasizes low-income and minority communities.
Ben Bradford/Marketplace

People are finding ways to get their potholes filled

May 13, 2019
From vigilantism to crude graffiti, how civilians are fixing their streets.
In Oakland, California, two men calling themselves the Pothole Vigilantes have begun collecting donations and filling potholes at night.
Ben Bradford/Marketplace

Technology that may help potholes get fixed faster

Aug 17, 2015
Cameras and computers can increase the pace of street inspections and repairs.