City Will Launch Pothole Patrol Initiative This Fall

City Will Launch Pothole Patrol Initiative This Fall

Naming contest with local schools to be held for new pothole patcher truck  

SAVANNAH – The City of Savannah’s Transportation Services Department is scheduled to launch Pothole Patrol this fall, a new citywide initiative to increase capacity and response time for pothole repairs.  

During a regular meeting in June, City Council approved the purchase of a new pothole patcher truck. Through a special arrangement with the equipment vendor, the City will be retaining its old patcher truck to assist expediting services. Delivery of the new vehicle is scheduled for October. 

Over the next two months, the City is teaming up with the Savannah-Chatham Public School System (SCPSS) for an internal contest to officially name the new vehicle. Students attending SCPSS schools within Savannah city limits in grades K-8 will be able to suggest a name for the new truck. City employees will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite suggestion, and the new name will be unveiled later this fall.

Following the arrival of the new equipment, the City’s Street Maintenance will launch Pothole Patrol. The new patrol will roll through the streets repairing potholes year-round. It will operate on a rotating schedule ensuring complete coverage of the city to improve consistency, response time, and overall roadway conditions.  

Students are invited to submit their suggestions by 5 p.m. on Sept. 2 using the form at savannahga.gov/potholepatrol. 

In 2024, Street Maintenance repaired 992 potholes and 790 utility-related roadway cuts. Under industry standard terminology, potholes refer to roadway failures while sinkholes or unpaved cuts in the asphalt are related to utilities. 

While the City’s annual pothole repair numbers remain consistent each year, utility related asphalt cuts have doubled, primary due to growth and development. City staff have restructured their approach to these two different types of repairs to improve response times. 

The proposed schedule for the Pothole Patrol is: January, District 1/East Zone; February, District 6/West Zone; March, District 3/North Zone; April, District 5/West Zone; May, District 2/North Zone; June, District 4/South Zone; July, District 1/West Zone; August, District 6/East Zone; September, District 3/South Zone; October, District 5/East Zone; November, District 2/South Zone; December, District 4/North Zone.