MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Memphis Public Works Division said after last month's winter weather, they were deploying every available resource to fix as many potholes as they could.
“As soon as the weather allowed, we assigned all of available street maintenance personnel to pothole duty," Public Works director Robert Knecht said. "And so that’s been going on now for almost two weeks now.”
The city said they've had 1,058 service calls to repair potholes from Jan. 1 to Feb. 1. City data claims they filled in a total of 6,191.
That total number is down from 8,433 filled around this time last year.
“You go to the left, it’s a pothole; to the right, it’s a pothole," Memphis driver Charisse Mackey said.
Knecht said the city has ten crews each targeting 10 different assigned areas of the city.
When asked to share the specifics of how his department prioritizes these 10 areas, Knecht said that information wasn't ready just yet.
“We are working on a public facing app, we just don’t have it ready yet," Knecht said. "Our first step is to make sure our system works the way we want to and then talk about a public facing app.”
But taxpaying drivers said they aren't feeling much of a difference.
“Apparently, they must need some more help, you know, because it’s not happening fast enough," Memphis driver William Hall said.
Mackey said she continues to worry about the damage potholes will do to her vehicle.
“It’s just too much, and they ain’t trying to help you if you get a flat," Mackey said.