# Potholes expose a national infrastructure funding crisis  
**Published:** 2026-05-19T12:41:49.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/repub/those-potholes-in-your-street-reveal-a-money-problem-for-cities-and-states/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/potholes-expose-a-national-infrastructure-funding-crisis

Potholes are more than seasonal annoyances for drivers across the United States. They reflect a deeper crisis facing state and local governments struggling to maintain aging road systems with limited funding, according to a [report from the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/repub/those-potholes-in-your-street-reveal-a-money-problem-for-cities-and-states/).

Federal data shows that U.S. road conditions have declined significantly over the past three decades. The share of roadways rated in acceptable condition peaked at about 91 percent in 1999 but has since declined to around 80 percent in recent years, leaving roughly one in five roadways in poor condition. The five states and jurisdictions with the worst roads—the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Hawaii, California and New Mexico—have between 34 percent and 89 percent of road miles in poor condition.

The Pew Charitable Trusts found that state roadways face a combined maintenance and repair shortfall of $86.3 billion over the next decade. Transportation experts say the problem stems from outdated funding mechanisms that have not kept pace with inflation or shifts in vehicle efficiency. The federal gas tax, unchanged since 1993 at 18.4 cents per gallon, generates less revenue as fuel-efficient and electric vehicles become more common.

With spring ramping up seasonal repair efforts, many cities have launched "pothole blitzes" to fill road damage before summer. New York City filled 100,000 potholes in the first 100 days under new Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while Baltimore repaired more than 134,000 potholes in 2025 and aims to fill another 25,000 by mid-July.

In Nebraska, the Lincoln Department of Transportation and Utilities reported that the city once had to fill approximately 50,000 potholes annually. [The City of Lincoln now maintains its streets and repairs potholes year-round](https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Transportation/Maintenance-Operations/Pothole-Patching), with particularly severe damage connected to the freeze-thaw cycles common in the region's spring and fall seasons.

At the state level, the Nebraska Department of Transportation has proposed a [$722 million fiscal year 2026 program](https://ndot.info/program-book) that includes 92 projects impacting 560 miles of highway and 83 bridges. However, officials acknowledge that available funding lags behind the scale of maintenance needed across the state's aging infrastructure.

Rocky Moretti, director of policy and research at TRIP, a nonprofit transportation research organization, said agencies are forced to triage their systems due to limited resources. "What states end up doing, partly because resources are limited, is they're sort of triaging the system," Moretti explained.

For drivers, the costs of neglected roads quickly mount. Tire blowouts, bent rims and suspension repairs can become expensive unexpected expenses when potholes are left unrepaired. Some states and cities are turning to technology to stretch maintenance dollars further, exploring artificial intelligence-powered road monitoring systems, sensors and camera-equipped vehicles to identify damage and respond more efficiently. However, upfront costs for these systems remain prohibitive for many cities already struggling with tight budgets.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/repub/those-potholes-in-your-street-reveal-a-money-problem-for-cities-and-states/)
- [City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities - Pothole Patching](https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Transportation/Maintenance-Operations/Pothole-Patching)
- [Nebraska Department of Transportation FY 2026 Surface Transportation Program](https://ndot.info/program-book)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/19/repub/those-potholes-in-your-street-reveal-a-money-problem-for-cities-and-states/.