Potholes are a concern for all road users. Any truck driver can likely name off a list of states where potholes are a problem.
In New Jersey, pothole damage to state roads is enough of an issue to warrant an online pothole damage claim form. A list of county pothole hotlines is also available.
Acting Gov. Tahesha Way last week signed into law a bill that is intended to help ensure progress is made to address the state’s pothole problem.
Garden State pothole problem
The New Jersey Department of Transportation already is required to provide an annual report for the governor and the Legislature on New Jersey’s Roadway Pavement System. The agency uses the report to identify, repair and maintain projects that were completed throughout the fiscal year. The report, however, does not include information about potholes.
Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Boonton, has pointed out that New Jersey is ranked among the worst states in the country for potholes. Multiple sources back up the claim.
USA Today research showed that New Jersey ranked eighth nationally for pothole problems. The state of Washington ranked first, with the most problems. Nevada was recognized as having the fewest potholes.
Additionally, Stacker examined data from The Clunker Junker to find the issue is so bad in the Garden State that the average additional cost to drivers in vehicle damage is referred to as a “New Jersey pothole tax.”
Now that this bill has become law, we are taking a crucial step towards improving road safety and increasing transportation transparency for Garden State commuters.https://t.co/yUN2vdOFeW
— Senator Anthony M. Bucco (@tonybucco) August 4, 2025
More information on the way
Bucco led the statehouse pursuit that the acting governor signed into law. Previously S862, his bill requires the New Jersey DOT to provide information about potholes on state roads in its annual Roadway Pavement System report.
“Every day, New Jerseyans navigate a challenging network of roads that are often littered with potholes to commute across our state,” Bucco said in prepared remarks. “Now that this bill has become law, we are taking a crucial step towards improving road safety and increasing transportation transparency for Garden State commuters.”
In addition to providing updates on road repairs and maintenance projects completed during the fiscal year, the DOT will be required to provide detailed information about the number of potholes filled, the total cost and the number of damage claims filed by road users throughout the state.
The information must also be publicly available on the DOT’s website.
Bucco said that having access to pothole repair and damage claim data from the DOT will help the Legislature implement targeted solutions to improve roadways across the state. LL
More Land Line coverage of New Jersey news is available.
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