Potholes are a problem in towns all across the country. Rain seeps into cracks in the asphalt and expands when it freezes. Traffic pulls up the loose pieces. Potholes are a serious risk for those who use the roads and are something all towns should pay keen attention to. The town made a promise that all potholes reported would be fixed in two to three business days, according to the BrookOnline portal (Brookline’s app equivalent to the 3-1-1 phone service for reporting non-emergency issues), but has failed to keep that promise. App data also shows that eight percent of potholes reported in Brookline from Jan. 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024, were never dealt with, their cases left “open.” Brookline News’ analysis of BrookOnline data found that the town took an average of 17 days to repair a pothole, far exceeding the promised two to three business days. These broken promises and broken roads have made transportation and safety far more difficult for all residents and non-residents who use Brookline roads.
Potholes are a nationwide problem with older roads breaking down throughout all of America. Massachusetts gets 18.7 pothole complaints for every 1,000 km of road, ranking 4th worst in the country. While other towns in Massachusetts, such as Springfield, are some of the worst offenders for potholes in the nation, Brookline is no exception to the problem, with 968 potholes reported from early 2023 to mid-2024. Potholes are not just a danger for drivers, but have an even larger impact on bicyclists and e-scooter riders. A survey by Cycling UK revealed that 31 percent of its riders have been involved in some pothole-related accident. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that accidents from potholes to e-scooter riders occur twice as often as they do for cyclists. It is reported that 2.44 million drivers in the U.S. had to pay for damages caused by potholes, while the same report estimates a total of 55 million potholes nationwide.
Potholes need to be addressed in Brookline at a much quicker rate and in greater quantity. Of the 968 potholes reported from early 2023 to mid-2024, 72 potholes were reported and have not yet been fixed. This is unacceptable as potholes affect so many aspects of residents’ lives, interfering with commutes to work and school. With the median household bill for residents in Brookline being $7,000 above the national average, more should be getting done. With how easy it is to report potholes using BrookOnline, and how many potholes are left as “open” on the app, it is clear that the town isn’t taking the necessary measures to fix our roads. We hope that this article will help raise awareness and put pressure on the town to improve the speed and number of potholes that are fixed in Brookline. We hope the town will be able to fix all the potholes and improve the average time it takes to fix them to the two to three business days it promised.