Governor Kathy Hochul / April 18, 2026
It’s no secret that we just experienced one of the harshest winters in a generation. And any New York driver — especially if you’re from upstate communities like my hometown of Buffalo — knows firsthand how much havoc these winters can wreak on our roads. Every jolt, every swerve, and every costly repair adds up.
That’s why I’ve made it my mission to go after potholes from the day I took office. In my first budget as governor, I announced our War On Potholes — $1 billion to repave and repair roads in every corner of our state — and I let New Yorkers know that I would not rest until every single pothole in our state had been repaired.
Since then, we made our state’s largest-ever capital investment in transportation infrastructure.
Last year alone, crews filled more than 1.3 million potholes on state roads.
And we’re making 2026 the biggest year for road paving in New York State history, laying fresh, smooth asphalt on more than 4,000 lane miles of state roads. In April alone, over 200 DOT crews are on pace to turn more than 175,000 potholes into not-holes. I even took one down personally.
More than 250 repaving projects will be getting underway across the state this year, with more than 4,000 lane miles of smooth roads ahead. See what paving projects are starting near you this spring.
You can be part of our work to turn potholes into not-holes. If you see a pothole on a state highway or the Thruway, you can call the New York State Department of Transportation’s 24/7 hotline at 1-800-POTHOLE (1-800-768-4653) to report the pothole so we can get it fixed.
New Yorkers deserve roads they can rely on — and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.
Ever Upward,
