KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
—
Residents say the potholes they’ve seen in Kansas City, Kansas, have been an ongoing issue.
“As a taxpayer, we have a right to let them know that we do care about our city,” one resident told KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson Monday on the corner of 11th Street and Parallel Parkway.
He noted some of the potholes have been around since the summer.
As a lifelong KCK resident, he told Henderson his northeast neighborhood has seen years of neglect.
“We don't even have a decent grocery store in our neighborhood anymore,” he said.
Unfortunately, the only amenities he sees frequently are potholes, which decorate his neighborhood up and down Parallel Parkway.
“I gotta take one of my vehicles to my shop in the morning because back up here, I hit one of them big ole potholes,” he said.
Henderson was in the car while the man and his friend Larry Caldwell drove west along Parallel Parkway.
“It's traveled quite a bit,” Caldwell said of the road.
As both men have been down this road of disappointment before, they’re looking for a path to some answers.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas' Public Works street division averages 600 potholes a day.
Dave Reno, the community engagement officer for UG Public Works, said six crews have patched 4,000 over the last few days. Henderson caught up with crews traveling east to west down Parallel Parkway on Monday.
“Pothole patching actually works in a similar way to snow removal,” Reno said. “So, these big major streets — Parallel, Quindaro, State — those are always going to get patched first.”
Reno explained this year’s historic snowfall resulted in a greater impact on the number of potholes on the roads and how soon crews could repair them.
“Moisture is the natural enemy of pavement,” Reno said.
Crews patched 41,941 potholes in 2024, which was an 11.5% increase from 2023.
Reno expects this number to increase again in 2025.
Public Works measures pavement condition with a Pavement Condition Index (PCI). As pavement condition declines, there’s a higher likelihood of a pothole forming.
The PCI is measured on a scale of 1-100, with 100 being a brand-new street. A PCI of 40 or below is considered poor or failed.
KCK’s PCI has declined from 56 to 48 since 2018.
“No amount of patching is going to help that. Ultimately, our crews are just going to be out patching and patching and patching, but as those conditions decline, we're going to see more potholes, unfortunately,” Reno said.
Funding usually helps with that, but after the Unified Government Commission voted not to exceed revenue neutral last summer, departments like Public Works have taken cuts to funding.
Public Works’ Pavement Preservation and Bridge Maintenance programs saw a reduction of $6.855 million as a result, which means the cycle of repairing damaged roads continues.
Reno said the method crews use now offers some longevity, even if it takes longer to patch.
“That patch can last years if it's done correctly, versus the older method where you just scoop asphalt out of a truck and dump it into a hole,” Reno said.
Residents are hopeful someone will listen to their concerns and act.
“We just … hope they do something," said the lifelong KCK resident who shared his concerns with Henderson.
The man said he is now looking to the UG for answers.
—
