Cincinnati Mayor's Street Maintenance Allocation Targets Pothole Repairs Across 12 Wards

Cincinnati City Council approved the mayor's update to the 2026 capital improvement plan on July 7, directing $8.5 million toward street maintenance crews in 12 of the city's 52 neighborhoods. The change applies to residential streets maintained by the Department of Public Services and covers areas such as Avondale, Bond Hill and Westwood.

Why the update arrives now

The city faces a backlog of pavement work documented in the 2025 annual pavement condition report, which rated 38 percent of local streets as fair or poor. Council members tied the new allocation to the upcoming release of state gas tax revenue estimates expected in late July. The funds come from the existing capital budget rather than new taxes or fees.

Residents who drive daily on city streets will see crews address potholes and cracks on designated routes first. In Westwood, for example, sections of Montana Avenue and Harrison Avenue are listed for milling and resurfacing by September. In Avondale, crews will focus on stretches of Reading Road near the hospital district where repeated complaints were logged last winter.

Direct costs and service changes for households

Property owners will not face an immediate tax increase from this allocation because the money was already appropriated in the capital plan. Drivers may encounter temporary lane closures during work hours, typically between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. The Department of Public Services projects completion of the listed segments by December 2026.

City records show Cincinnati maintains roughly 1,200 lane miles of streets, with an average of 45,000 resident service requests filed each year for pavement issues. The added $8.5 million raises the street maintenance line item to $24.3 million for the fiscal year. Next steps include publication of the final work schedule on the city's website by July 22 and a public meeting at City Hall on August 5 to review resident-submitted locations.