31:T4c6,In his recent 100 day address, Mayor Mamdani lauded the many successes of a productive first few months for the administration, but one issue got special mention: _potholes_ ${emoji("🕳️")}${emoji("🪏")}. A tangible symbol of the quality-of-life agenda he campaigned on, packaged—like many things this administration does—in a clever catchphrase, Mamdani’s “Pothole Politics” [has](https://gothamist.com/news/in-mamdanis-nyc-sewer-socialism-is-out-pothole-politics-is-in) [made](https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/04/12/mamdani-100-days-rally-knockdown-center-bernie-sanders/) [headlines.](https://hellgatenyc.com/sewer-socialism-meet-pothole-politics/) As someone who lives in the city without a car, potholes aren’t usually top of mind other than the occasionally rocky Citibike or taxi ride. To get a better grasp of the true scale of the issue and the ambition of this administration’s response, I dug into the public data on [Street Pothole Work Orders](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Street-Pothole-Work-Orders-Closed-Dataset-/x9wy-ing4/about_data) and [311 Service Requests.](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/311-Service-Requests-from-2020-to-Present/erm2-nwe9/about_data)32:T6f3,### About NYC Potholes: Significant, Seasonal, and Stubborn Looking at the data, there’s no doubt potholes matter to New Yorkers. According to 311 service requests, `"Street Condition"`, which includes potholes, was the [4th most frequent complaint last month (March 2026)](https://www.nyc.gov/site/311reporting/311-reports/service-requests.page) and the 7th most common in the fiscal year to date. The timing of this heightened interest is understandable since spring is peak [“pothole season.”](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/nyregion/snowstorm-potholes-nyc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cVA.Wj8h._Vl3n-LfL7cq&smid=url-share) As roads freeze and thaw with the changing temperatures, potholes are formed and worsened—particularly after periods of heavy snow. This past winter, which brought the city’s [biggest snowfall in at least a decade](https://www.weather.gov/okx/20260222_23), was especially rough for the roads across the five boroughs. Exploring pothole work orders over time, the initial picture is fairly positive. Annually, the total number of potholes filled from 2010 to 2025, the last full year of data and a pre-Mamdani baseline, has steadily declined after peaking in 2015: ${Sparks.dotline(nyc_potholes_filled_annual.slice(0, -1).map(d => +d.count), {weight: 5})}. Milder winters in New York City, which was [reclassified a sub-tropical climate in 2020](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/nyregion/climate-change-nyc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.clA.4HyJ.JcBdANa1q6_e&smid=url-share), have likely led to fewer potholes overall. However, when assessed alongside 311 service requests over time, the issue appears more stubborn. New potholes, at least according to resident complaints, continue to pop up faster than they can be filled.

33:T1cd8,baseline_chart = { //set chart type based on dropdown const mode = dropdown_1; //specify the chart’s dimensions const width = 1200; const height = 600; const marginTop = 20; const marginRight = 30; const marginBottom = 30; const marginLeft = 40; const x = d3.scaleUtc() .domain(d3.extent(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, d => d.week)) .range([marginLeft, width - marginRight]); const y = d3.scaleLinear() .domain([d3.min(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, d => d.filled), d3.max(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, d => d.complaints)]).nice(10) .range([height - marginBottom, marginTop]); const color = d3.scaleSequential() .domain(d3.extent(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, d => d.difference)) .interpolator(d3.interpolateRgbBasis(["#D5C7ED", "#FFAC00", "#E71801"])); //area generator const area = d3.area() .curve(d3.curveStep) .x(d => x(d.week)) .y0(d => y(d.filled)) .y1(d => y(d.complaints)); //line generators const lineComplaints = d3.line() .curve(d3.curveStep) .x(d => x(d.week)) .y(d => y(d.complaints)); const lineFilled = d3.line() .curve(d3.curveStep) .x(d => x(d.week)) .y(d => y(d.filled)); const svg = d3.create("svg") .attr("width", width) .attr("height", height) .attr("viewBox", [0, 0, width, height]) .attr("style", "max-width: 100%; height: auto;"); //gradient const gradient = svg.append("defs").append("linearGradient") .attr("id", "ratio-gradient") .attr("gradientUnits", "userSpaceOnUse") .attr("x1", marginLeft).attr("x2", width - marginRight); gradient.selectAll("stop") .data(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks) .join("stop") .attr("offset", d => `${(x(d.week) - marginLeft) / (width - marginLeft - marginRight) * 100}%`) .attr("stop-color", d => color(d.difference ?? 0)); //band path const bandPath = svg.append("path") .datum(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks) .attr("fill", "url(#ratio-gradient)") .attr("d", area); //line paths const complaintsPath = svg.append("path") .datum(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks) .attr("fill", "none") .attr("stroke", "#D5C7ED") .attr("stroke-width", 1.25) .attr("d", lineComplaints) .attr("display", "none"); const filledPath = svg.append("path") .datum(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks) .attr("fill", "none") .attr("stroke", "#E71801") .attr("stroke-width", 1.25) .attr("d", lineFilled) .attr("display", "none"); //add annotations const annotations = [ { week: new Date("2020-07-26"), text: "↓ Drop due to COVID-19", yOffset: 50}, { week: new Date("2022-08-10"), text: "← Seasonal peak after snow melt", yOffset: 700}, { week: new Date("2024-11-10"), text: "A milder 2024-25 winter meant fewer potholes ↓", yOffset: 620}, ]; const annotationG = svg.append("g").attr("pointer-events", "none"); const bisectAnno = d3.bisector(d => d.week).left; annotations.forEach(a => { const cx = x(a.week); const i = bisectAnno(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, a.week); const d = nyc_pothole_gap_weeks[Math.min(i, nyc_pothole_gap_weeks.length - 1)]; const cy = y(d.complaints + a.yOffset); annotationG.append("text") .attr("x", cx) .attr("y", cy) .attr("text-anchor", "middle") .attr("fill", "white") .attr("stroke", "white") .attr("stroke-width", 3) .attr("stroke-linejoin", "round") .attr("paint-order", "stroke") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", 600) .text(a.text); annotationG.append("text") .attr("x", cx) .attr("y", cy) .attr("text-anchor", "middle") .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", 600) .text(a.text); }); //line chart legend const lineLegend = svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(${width - 200}, ${marginTop + 18})`) .attr("display", mode === "Comparison - Line Chart" ? null : "none"); lineLegend.append("line") .attr("x1", 0) .attr("x2", 24) .attr("stroke", "#D5C7ED") .attr("stroke-width", 1.5); lineLegend.append("text") .attr("x", 30).attr("y", 4) .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("font-size", 14) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("311 Complaints"); lineLegend.append("line") .attr("x1", 0) .attr("x2", 24) .attr("y1", 20) .attr("y2", 20) .attr("stroke", "#E71801") .attr("stroke-width", 1.5) lineLegend.append("text") .attr("x", 30).attr("y", 24) .attr("fill", "currentColor").attr("font-size", 14) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("Work Orders Closed"); //band chart legend const bandLegend = svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(${width - 230}, ${marginTop + 22})`) .attr("display", mode === "Gap - Band Chart" ? null : "none"); const legendWidth = 200, legendHeight = 10; const legendGradient = svg.append("defs").append("linearGradient") .attr("id", "legend-gradient"); legendGradient.append("stop").attr("offset", "0%").attr("stop-color", "#D5C7ED"); legendGradient.append("stop").attr("offset", "50%").attr("stop-color", "#FFAC00"); legendGradient.append("stop").attr("offset", "100%").attr("stop-color", "#E71801"); bandLegend.append("rect") .attr("width", legendWidth) .attr("height", legendHeight) .attr("fill", "url(#legend-gradient)"); const legendScale = d3.scaleLinear() .domain(d3.extent(nyc_pothole_gap_weeks, d => d.difference)) .range([0, legendWidth]); bandLegend.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(0, ${legendHeight})`) .call(d3.axisBottom(legendScale).ticks(5).tickSize(3)) .call(g => g.select(".domain").remove()); bandLegend.append("text") .attr("x", legendWidth / 2) .attr("y", -4) .attr("text-anchor", "middle") .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("Gap (potholes reported − closed)"); //axes svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(0,${height - marginBottom})`) .call(d3.axisBottom(x).ticks(width / 80).tickSizeOuter(0)) .call(g => g.select(".domain").remove()); svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(${marginLeft},0)`) .call(d3.axisLeft(y)) .call(g => g.select(".domain").remove()) .call(g => g.selectAll(".tick line").clone() .attr("x2", width - marginLeft - marginRight) .attr("stroke-opacity", 0.1)) .call(g => g.append("text") .attr("x", -marginLeft*0.85) .attr("y", 10) .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("text-anchor", "start") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("↑ Potholes")); //toggle chart based on dropdown bandPath.attr("display", mode === "Gap - Band Chart" ? null : "none"); complaintsPath.attr("display", mode === "Comparison - Line Chart" ? null : "none"); filledPath.attr("display", mode === "Comparison - Line Chart" ? null : "none"); bandLegend.attr("display", mode === "Gap - Band Chart" ? null : "none"); lineLegend.attr("display", mode === "Comparison - Line Chart" ? null : "none"); return svg.node(); }34:T8ed,### Mayor vs. Mayor: Off to a Fast Start With a Long Road Ahead Since taking office, most of Mayor Mamdani’s progress on potholes has come in the form of four [“blitzes”](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWKmwe9Ee69/?img_index=2): dedicated days, all on the weekend, where dozens of NYC DOT crews mobilize across the city specifically to fill as many potholes as possible. Those concerted efforts are clearly visible as big spikes when charting the daily number of work orders closed. Looking at those daily work order closures across the first 100 days of different administrations, it’s evident that the new mayor is off to a strong start. The ${nyc_blitz_potholes.features.length.toLocaleString()} work orders closed in the blitzes are equivalent to about ${(Math.round((nyc_blitz_potholes.features.length/nyc_avg_potholes_per_day)/7))} average weeks of work as measured in the full dataset, which exceeds even NYC DOT Commissioner Flynn’s comments about [“fill\[ing\] almost a week’s worth of potholes in a single day”](https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mamdani-administration-fills-more-than-7-000-potholes-during-wee#:~:text=fill%20almost%20a%20week%27s%20worth%20of%20potholes%20in%20a%20single%20day) during the first blitz. That said, when comparing the first 100 days of this administration with the most productive 100-day periods of the two previous administrations, the blitzes appear more like standard good days in terms of work orders closed. This discrepancy suggests two things. First, that it’s possible the public work order data may not show the full impact of the blitz approach if work orders are scoped more expansively—with more potholes per work order—than when they are created in response to individual complaints or as part of regular maintenance. I think of this as the difference between the city proactively _playing offense_ versus reactively _playing defense_ and the work order scoreboard might not be tracking both equally. Second, if the counts are comparable, the real key to coming out on top at the end of this first term will be sustaining the blitz approach beyond this initial wave. Whether that's possible long-term given the additional effort required from NYC DOT staff remains an open question.

35:T1668,mayor_chart = { const chart_data = dropdown_2 === "Mamdani vs. First 100 Days" ? nyc_mayors_first100 : nyc_mayors_best100; const width = 1200; const height = 600; const marginTop = 20; const marginRight = 120; const marginBottom = 60; const marginLeft = 50; const x = d3.scaleLinear() .domain([1, 100]) .range([marginLeft, width - marginRight]); const y = d3.scaleLinear() .domain([0, d3.max(chart_data, d => +d.count)]).nice() .range([height - marginBottom, marginTop]); const color = d3.scaleOrdinal() .domain([...new Set(chart_data.map(d => d.mayor))]) .range(["#E71801", "#554670", "#A393BF"]); //first is Mamadani, others follow const svg = d3.create("svg") .attr("width", width) .attr("height", height) .attr("viewBox", [0, 0, width, height]) .attr("style", "max-width: 100%; height: auto;"); //group data by mayor const byMayor = d3.group(chart_data, d => d.mayor); const byMayorArray = Array.from(byMayor).reverse(); const area = d3.area() .curve(d3.curveStep) .x(d => x(d.day_num)) .y0(y(-1)) .y1(d => y(+d.count)); const line = d3.line() .curve(d3.curveStep) .x(d => x(d.day_num)) .y(d => y(+d.count)); //draw lines and areas for each mayor byMayorArray.forEach(([mayor, values]) => { svg.append("path") .attr("fill", "none") .attr("stroke", color(mayor)) .attr("stroke-width", mayor === "Mamdani" ? 2.5 : 1.5) .attr("stroke-linejoin", "round") .attr("stroke-linecap", "round") .attr("d", line(values)); svg.append("path") .attr("fill", mayor === "Mamdani" ? "#FFE7DE" : "white") .attr("stroke", "none") .attr("d", area(values)); }); //legend const legendG = svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(${marginLeft + 25}, ${marginTop + 25})`); byMayorArray.reverse().forEach(([mayor], i) => { const row = legendG.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(0, ${i * 20})`); row.append("line") .attr("x1", 0).attr("x2", 24) .attr("y1", 0).attr("y2", 0) .attr("stroke", color(mayor)) .attr("stroke-width", 1); row.append("text") .attr("x", 30) .attr("y", 4) .attr("fill", color(mayor)) .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", 600) .text(mayor); }); //annotations const annotations = [ { day: 72, text: "↓ Blitz #1", side: "right" }, { day: 79, text: "↓ Blitz #2", side: "right" }, { day: 86, text: "↓ Blitz #3", side: "right" }, { day: 100, text: "Blitz #4 →\n(Day 101)\u00A0\u00A0", side: "left" }, ]; const annotationG = svg.append("g").attr("pointer-events", "none"); const bisect = d3.bisector(d => d.day_num - 1).left; let blitz3Y = null; annotations.forEach(a => { const cx = x(a.day); const mamdaniData = chart_data.filter(d => d.mayor === "Mamdani"); const i = bisect(mamdaniData, a.day); const d = mamdaniData[Math.min(i, mamdaniData.length - 1)]; let peakY = d ? y(+d.count) - 12 : marginTop + 12; if (a.text.startsWith("↓ Blitz #3")) blitz3Y = peakY; if (a.text.startsWith("Blitz #4")) peakY = blitz3Y; const textX = a.side === "right" ? cx + 8 : cx - 8; const textAnchor = a.side === "right" ? "start" : "end"; const lines = a.text.split("\n"); // Helper to render one styled with multiline tspans const drawText = (fill, stroke) => { const t = annotationG.append("text") .attr("x", textX) .attr("y", peakY) .attr("text-anchor", textAnchor) .attr("fill", fill) .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", 600); if (stroke) { t.attr("stroke", stroke) .attr("stroke-width", 3) .attr("stroke-linejoin", "round") .attr("paint-order", "stroke"); } lines.forEach((line, idx) => { t.append("tspan") .attr("x", textX) .attr("dy", idx === 0 ? 0 : "1.2em") .text(line); }); }; drawText("white", "white"); drawText("currentColor", null); }); //axes svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(0,${height - marginBottom})`) .call(d3.axisBottom(x).ticks(10).tickSizeOuter(0)) .call(g => g.select(".domain").remove()) .call(g => g.append("text") .attr("x", width - marginRight) .attr("y", -8) .attr("fill", "white") .attr("stroke", "white") .attr("stroke-width", 3) .attr("stroke-linejoin", "round") .attr("paint-order", "stroke") .attr("text-anchor", "end") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", 600) .text("Days")) .call(g => g.append("text") .attr("x", width - marginRight) .attr("y", -8) .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("text-anchor", "end") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("Days")); svg.append("g") .attr("transform", `translate(${marginLeft},0)`) .call(d3.axisLeft(y)) .call(g => g.select(".domain").remove()) .call(g => g.selectAll(".tick line").clone() .attr("x2", width - marginLeft - marginRight) .attr("stroke-opacity", 0.1)) .call(g => g.append("text") .attr("x", -marginLeft*0.5) .attr("y", 10) .attr("fill", "currentColor") .attr("text-anchor", "start") .attr("font-size", 12) .attr("font-weight", "bold") .text("↑ Daily pothole work orders closed")); return svg.node(); }36:T87b,### Putting Potholes on the Map: An Even Spread Across the City To understand how these blitzes played out across the boroughs, I mapped the work orders closed on those dates. One of the most telling things this can show is whether the blitzes had a particular geographic bias or focus across the city. Given that the share of potholes filled during the blitzes in each borough is closely aligned with the share of lane miles of road per borough, it would seem there was not. This geographically even-handed approach echoes the Mayor’s broad goal of [“making sure our streets are safe and accessible for everyone”](https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mamdani-administration-fills-more-than-7-000-potholes-during-wee#:~:text=it%E2%80%99s%20about%20making%20sure%20our%20streets%20are%20safe%20and%20accessible%20for%20everyone.) rather than targeting particular hotspots or priority areas. Spatial data can also help understand the characteristics of the roads repaired during the blitz. While every pothole filled is a measurable improvement to the city, not all potholes are necessarily equally “valuable” to all residents. For example, fixing potholes on roads with bike lanes benefits cyclists as well as drivers (either smoothing the bike lane or reducing the need for cars to potentially swerve into the bike lane to avoid potholes). Filling potholes on high-traffic thoroughfares benefits more drivers than fixing those on less-taken side streets. Interestingly, the blitz pothole work orders do not indicate this kind of targeting. The share of blitz work orders on roads with bike lanes (${blitz_bike_lane_avg}%) was slightly lower than the overall baseline (${overall_bike_lane_avg}%), and shares on highways and roads with 3+ lanes were roughly in line with overall patterns. This again reflects an even-handed approach, but one that might be leaving potential impact on the table. In future blitzes, whether this spring or next pothole season, there may be value in leaning into these target areas—_Bike Path Pushes, Highway Hustles, Main Street Missions?_ I’ll leave the branding to the social media experts in City Hall.

37:T91c,map = { const boro_names = {"B": "Brooklyn", "X": "The Bronx", "M": "Manhattan", "Q": "Queens", "S": "Staten Island"}; //roll up counts by borough from filtered features const boro_counts = d3.rollup( nyc_blitz_potholes_filtered.features, v => v.length, d => boro_names[d.properties.boro] ); //order counts by borough const boro_order = ["Manhattan", "Brooklyn", "Queens", "The Bronx", "Staten Island"]; const boro_counts_ordered = new Map(boro_order.map(b => [b, boro_counts.get(b) ?? 0])); return svg``; }38:T89e,### Looking Beyond the Blitz: Measures to Keep an Eye On As New York City enters the era of “Pothole Politics”, I’ll be following how it plays out across all aspects of city management and eager to understand how those service and infrastructure improvements show up in civic data. As it relates to potholes, here are some of the metrics I’m most keen to follow: - ${emoji("⏱️")} **Pothole response time** (measured in [pothole work order data](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Street-Pothole-Work-Orders-Closed-Dataset-/x9wy-ing4/about_data)). Since early efforts have been focused on closing as many potholes as possible regardless of when they were first identified, and with the administration still in its early days, using response time in this analysis didn’t feel appropriate. As things get more settled, these work order turnarounds might become a more useful baseline of government responsiveness. - ${emoji("📲")} **311 pothole reporting** (measured in [311 service requests data](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/311-Service-Requests-from-2020-to-Present/erm2-nwe9/about_data)) both as a rough estimate of the pothole problem’s scale (as shown above) and to see if a visibly more responsive government encourages more residents to report complaints since they feel like something might actually be done about it. - ${emoji("🚧")} **Overall street conditions** (measured in [street pavement ratings data](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Street-Pavement-Ratings/6yyb-pb25/about_data)) to understand how focused pothole efforts are being supplemented by broader resurfacing work across the city with an eye towards long-term improvement. It’s been exciting to watch the effort from city staff and leaders during these 4 pothole blitzes and first 100 days. But, just as Mayor Mamdani said in closing his inaugural address: [“The work continues, the work endures, the work, my friends, has only just begun.”](https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-zohran-mamdani-inaugural-address#:~:text=The%20work%20continues%2C%20the%20work%20endures%2C%20the%20work%2C%20my%20friends%2C%20has%20only%20just%20begun.%C2%A0)39:[{"id":"f4d79997abc5962690cb669b8254298e2fc132778244fdd0f2acbab27ea9e755f28195270efd71f38660c0241d2dd301694398c981b3e1b2ef449cced1117d28","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/f4d79997abc5962690cb669b8254298e2fc132778244fdd0f2acbab27ea9e755f28195270efd71f38660c0241d2dd301694398c981b3e1b2ef449cced1117d28","name":"nyc_potholes_filled_weekly_20-25.csv","type":"text/csv","lastModified":1776715969509.479,"size":24995},{"id":"2e46df34be3a4935b0260d94d0ce2f6b9778d8837c79c285bc3801d1390d6c49cdc45bc3d8beec8fac11c675ecbac529e97cc4f5bc9e4ade7a76a99277c37bde","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/2e46df34be3a4935b0260d94d0ce2f6b9778d8837c79c285bc3801d1390d6c49cdc45bc3d8beec8fac11c675ecbac529e97cc4f5bc9e4ade7a76a99277c37bde","name":"nyc_311_pothole_complaints_weekly_20-25.csv","type":"text/csv","lastModified":1776715934028.019,"size":9344},{"id":"2890a3814a448dfd0f9dc8d3c93e3f0418c848260044c8790172bab19bfd4da4883462cab7a6ba86d0bfda3d72d6bfb5c0a75698ed4ce07b428d4dd291ba2ed0","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/2890a3814a448dfd0f9dc8d3c93e3f0418c848260044c8790172bab19bfd4da4883462cab7a6ba86d0bfda3d72d6bfb5c0a75698ed4ce07b428d4dd291ba2ed0","name":"Borough_Boundaries_20260422.geojson","type":"application/geo+json","lastModified":1776867380903.99,"size":3168631},{"id":"6f01d7d979510378f09f7d7a15af1dcc8194b61d3bebdcdb7145eabb6eb385158dea0b0ad95f233ff952ea6b87b4e7c37bbaa6eb38ff605011e0add26f45f12e","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/6f01d7d979510378f09f7d7a15af1dcc8194b61d3bebdcdb7145eabb6eb385158dea0b0ad95f233ff952ea6b87b4e7c37bbaa6eb38ff605011e0add26f45f12e","name":"nyc_mayor_potholes_first100.csv","type":"text/csv","lastModified":1777578905548.184,"size":12685},{"id":"c1bae3827dbcc0aee7152893b90e3bedd615861de4f13a912ca87ae364b2c05925400c01dcdb3631431ef480aef800bf86c5ea74991aec01b01a1f0cd0d3d0b9","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/c1bae3827dbcc0aee7152893b90e3bedd615861de4f13a912ca87ae364b2c05925400c01dcdb3631431ef480aef800bf86c5ea74991aec01b01a1f0cd0d3d0b9","name":"nyc_blitz_potholes.geojson","type":"application/geo+json","lastModified":1777578870943.752,"size":1201987},{"id":"f58b181cc16c1cf17afb029370be23e136ef1137ba583022c57673b42fe0fc974b49d0fd67e78173c76e492e620867668345c1b9dff449d47582d509e412741b","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/f58b181cc16c1cf17afb029370be23e136ef1137ba583022c57673b42fe0fc974b49d0fd67e78173c76e492e620867668345c1b9dff449d47582d509e412741b","name":"nyc_mayor_potholes_best100.csv","type":"text/csv","lastModified":1777578905571.657,"size":12738},{"id":"11d740c755ad33a9c3b254bf7d3db1eec8090903fd049470cc42909be58eaf8b4b57185b253b37f110646dd40ea8e17e13e2b33bebcbd80fd1d8f23d2d26f0b6","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/11d740c755ad33a9c3b254bf7d3db1eec8090903fd049470cc42909be58eaf8b4b57185b253b37f110646dd40ea8e17e13e2b33bebcbd80fd1d8f23d2d26f0b6","name":"NotoColorEmoji-Regular.ttf","type":"font/ttf","lastModified":1777981148739.073,"size":25111640}] 2f:{"title":"Getting filled in on Mayor Mamdani’s “Pothole Politics”","cells":[{"id":0,"value":"# Getting filled in on Mayor Mamdani’s “Pothole Politics” ","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":57,"value":"$31","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":109,"value":"$32","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":479,"value":"#### Keeping Up With the Crevices – (311 Complaints vs. Pothole Work Orders Closed)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":471,"value":"viewof dropdown_1 = Inputs.select([\"Gap - Band Chart\", \"Comparison - Line Chart\"])","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":423,"value":"$33","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":774,"value":"|${emoji(\"📝\")} A note on the data|\n| --- |--- | --- |\n|There is no perfect publicly-available dataset of every pothole in New York City. So, to get a reasonable estimate of outstanding potholes, I used open 311 service requests for potholes over time and removed likely duplicates (identified as complaints about potholes at matching cross streets in the same borough within a week).|","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":830,"value":"Using this comparison of pothole complaints and pothole work orders completed, there’s an estimated annual shortfall of about 20,000 reported potholes. I expect that lag is smaller in practice with work orders accounting for filling more than one pothole at a time.\n\nIt’s also important to note that [counts from the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) about individual potholes filled ](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/operations/downloads/pdf/mmr2025/dot.pdf) usually differ from those in the work order dataset. The underlying data for NYC DOT’s counts are not public though, and [an audit by the Comptroller back in 2016](https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/audit-report-on-the-department-of-transportations-tracking-of-pothole-repairs/) raised contentions with possible double- or triple-counting.\n

","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":28,"value":"$34","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":1037,"value":"#### Ready, Set, Blitz - (Mamdani vs. Previous Administrations)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":978,"value":"viewof dropdown_2 = Inputs.select([\"Mamdani vs. First 100 Days\", \"Mamdani vs. Best 100 Days\"])","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":998,"value":"$35","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":26,"value":"$36","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":1385,"value":"#### Four Blitzes in Five Boroughs - (Geographic Distribution of Blitz Work Orders)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":1447,"value":"viewof blitz_range = interval([1, 4], {\n step: 1,\n value: [1, 4],\n label: 'Show Blitz Range:',\n collide: false\n})","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1686,"value":"

\n ${Object.entries(blitz_colors).map(([blitz, color]) => html`\n

\n \n Blitz #${blitz}\n

`)}\n

","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":1133,"value":"$37","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1768,"value":"

","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":32,"value":"$38","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":46,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":54,"value":"### Underlying Data\nAll data used in this analysis were downloaded via the [NYC Open Data Portal](https://opendata.cityofnewyork.us/) accessed on April 30, 2026:\n- [Street Pothole Work Orders - Closed (Dataset) (NYC DOT)](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Street-Pothole-Work-Orders-Closed-Dataset-/x9wy-ing4/about_data)\n- [311 Service Requests from 2020 to Present (NYC\tOTI)](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/311-Service-Requests-from-2020-to-Present/erm2-nwe9/about_data)\n- [Street Centerlines (NYC OTI)](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Government/Centerline/inkn-q76z/about_data)\n\n\nTo explore the code behind the analysis and visualizations you can expand the code blocks on this page (by clicking in left hand margin of the page next to them) or visit [the project repository on Github](https://github.com/mpkhinda/nyc-pothole-politics-analysis).","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":378,"value":"nyc_311_pothole_complaints_weeks = await FileAttachment(\"nyc_311_pothole_complaints_weekly_20-25.csv\").csv()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":314,"value":"nyc_potholes_filled_weeks = await FileAttachment(\"nyc_potholes_filled_weekly_20-25.csv\").csv()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":356,"value":"nyc_potholes_filled_annual = Object.entries(\n nyc_potholes_filled_weeks.reduce((acc, d) => {\n const year = d.week.slice(11, 15);\n acc[year] = (acc[year] || 0) + +d.count;\n return acc;\n }, {})\n).map(([year, count]) => ({ year, count }));","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":419,"value":"nyc_pothole_gap_weeks = nyc_311_pothole_complaints_weeks.map(d => {\n const match = nyc_potholes_filled_weeks.find(p => p.week === d.week);\n return {\n week: new Date(d.week.split(\"/\")[0]),\n complaints: +d.count,\n filled: match ? +match.count : null,\n difference: match ? +d.count - +match.count : null,\n ratio: match ? +match.count / +d.count : null\n };\n});","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":991,"value":"nyc_mayors_first100 = await FileAttachment(\"nyc_mayor_potholes_first100.csv\").csv()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":994,"value":"nyc_mayors_best100 = await FileAttachment(\"nyc_mayor_potholes_best100.csv\").csv()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1474,"value":"nyc_blitz_potholes = await FileAttachment(\"nyc_blitz_potholes.geojson\").json()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1477,"value":"nyc_blitz_potholes_filtered = {\n return {\n ...nyc_blitz_potholes,\n features: nyc_blitz_potholes.features.filter(d => \n d.properties.blitz_number >= blitz_range[0] && \n d.properties.blitz_number <= blitz_range[1]\n )\n }\n}","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1144,"value":"nyc_boroughs = await FileAttachment(\"Borough_Boundaries_20260422.geojson\").json()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1689,"value":"blitz_colors = ({1: \"#E71801\", 2: \"#A393BF\", 3: \"#FCA608\", 4: \"#62B4D1\"})","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2001,"value":"nyc_avg_potholes_per_day = 51","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2036,"value":"overall_bike_lane_avg = 17.1","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2033,"value":"blitz_bike_lane_avg = 14.3","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":174,"value":"---","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":176,"value":"#### Utilities","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":1103,"value":"projection = d3.geoMercator()","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1106,"value":"path = d3.geoPath(projection)","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1136,"value":"tile = d3.tile()\n .size([width, height])\n .scale(projection.scale() * 2 * Math.PI)\n .translate(projection([0, 0]))","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1139,"value":"height = {\n const [[x0, y0], [x1, y1]] = d3.geoPath(projection.fitWidth(width*.75, nyc_boroughs)).bounds(nyc_boroughs);\n const dy = Math.ceil(y1 - y0);\n projection.precision(0.2);\n return dy;\n}","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":1116,"value":"url = (x, y, z) => `https://${\"abc\"[Math.abs(x + y) % 3]}.basemaps.cartocdn.com/light_nolabels/${z}/${x}/${y}${devicePixelRatio > 1 ? \"@2x\" : \"\"}.png`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2246,"value":"notoEmojiLoaded = addFonts([{\n fontFamily: \"Noto Color Emoji\",\n url: await FileAttachment(\"NotoColorEmoji-Regular.ttf\").url(),\n style: \"normal\",\n weight: \"normal\",\n stretch: \"normal\"\n }])","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2232,"value":"emoji = {\n await notoEmojiLoaded;\n return (char) => html`${char}`;\n}","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":986,"value":"d3 = require(\"d3@7\", \"d3-geo@3\", \"d3-tile@1\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2243,"value":"import { addFonts } from '@jakoblistabarth/load-custom-fonts'","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":2270,"value":"import {interval} from '@mootari/range-slider'","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":224,"value":"import { Sparks, font, styles } from \"@mjbo/sparks\"","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":264,"value":"font","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":267,"value":"styles","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"}],"files":"$W39","stdlib":"1","titling":"auto"}