For cities and counties, it makes good economic sense to keep pavement surfaces in good repair

Motorists may think roads in the United States are in worse shape now than in the past, says Rebecca Neidich, president and co-founder of Tampa, Fla.-based Pothole Heroes, a woman-owned, full-service asphalt maintenance company that has more than 20 years of experience maintaining parking lots, roads and other surfaces. “Cities that have experienced rapid population and geographic growth are dealing with a more rapid degradation of their road systems. This can result in what seems like more roadways in bad shape and in need of repair.”

Neidich says local governments are among her firm’s customers. “We do provide services for municipalities to help them meet the demands of an ever-eroding infrastructure road system.” She adds that parking lot maintenance and road-surface repairs are important parts of the overall safety and appearance of municipal properties and roadways.

She offers the following advice to city-county officials on keeping municipal parking lots and roads repaired, safe, and free of potholes: “We recommend allocating financial resources to the asphalt and concrete maintenance of these properties.” She adds that keeping pavement surfaces in excellent shape is a good thing: “Planned and budgeted maintenance decreases the lifetime cost of your asphalt and concrete assets from both a liability and structural perspective.”

No question, there is a safety issue, she says, explaing that keeping parking lots and road surfaces repaired and safe can help reduce legal responsibility for injuries and dangerous mishaps. “Proper upkeep and compliance on those infrastructure elements decreases the prevalence of trip hazards and automobile-truck damage that can lead to lawsuits.”

Pothole Heroes offers a variety of services, including:

Neidich tells Co-op Solutions that traffic and water are the leading causes of deteriorating asphalt. “Therefore, standing water should be corrected as quickly as possible.” She adds that it is crucial that property managers ensure that they have the correct slope and drainage to their pavement. “Even small puddles can cause extensive pavement damage by allowing water time to penetrate even seemingly tiny cracks. This water intrusion causes the pavement sub-base to deteriorate faster than expected. Not only is pavement life shortened if not repaired, but puddles can also increase legal liabilities by causing slip and fall hazards for residential, government and commercial properties. This can ultimately lead to higher insurance premiums.”

Neidich offers the following advice to property managers: “When you notice a pool of water remaining on your pavement for a few hours after it rains, it’s time for repair work. Puddles of all sizes can cause pavement damage.”

Pothole Heroes’ operation is environmentally friendly, with the firm’s clean-fuel trucks equipped with solar panels for recharging the company’s battery-powered peripheral equipment like saws and blowers. According to Neidich, “These measures offer the opportunity to save money, save time and help us all breathe a little easier.”

Also on the environmental front, Pothole Heroes uses infrared technology which helps asphalt repair crews be more efficient. The technology and process, which is called “hot in-place,” also helps reduce the carbon footprint. This type of repair recycles the asphalt that is already in place.

Neidich explains: “Unlike most cut-and-patch repairs, we recycle almost all the existing asphalt and reuse it in the new patch. This is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective method of rejuvenating asphalt surfaces to good-as-new condition. Like all recycled asphalt treatments, hot In-place has a small carbon footprint and reduced binder consumption, which leads to reduced emissions. In addition to the dramatic cost benefit of recycling 100 percent of existing pavement, hot In-place has the bonus of reducing business disruption and user delays.”

Pothole Heroes offers its services in a broad swath of the U.S. “We are currently serving the southeastern United States. Our corporate office is located in Tampa, Florida, and the company has expanded to serve the entire state of Florida, as well as Mobile, Alabama; Georgia; North Carolina and South Carolina,” Neidich says. “We also serve the Ohio Tri-state area, which includes portions of Indiana and Kentucky.”

The pavement maintenance company continues to expand. In 2024 the firm has opened two new locations, in Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta. The firm’s growth will continue. Here is Neidich’s prediction: “We expect to expand into other locations, especially since there are always roads, highways, paths and parking lots that need maintenance.”

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].