SAN ANTONIO – When heavy rain lingers and standing water lines the streets, potholes can expand quickly, leaving drivers dodging damaged pavement long after storms pass.
To see how the city handles complaints about potholes and flooding, KSAT visited the City of San Antonio’s 311 call center. The 311 call center is staffed seven days a week to route non-emergency requests to the appropriate department.
Paula Stallcup, 311 director of customer service, said the call center serves as a first stop for a wide range of city services.
“We want to be that first point of contact,” Stallcup said. “We handle not only the calls for Animal Care Services, for Code Enforcement, Public Works, Parks, Solid Waste … but maybe you’re trying to learn about a Parks program. Or maybe you want to know about the economic development incentives that are available for a small business.”
Potholes are among the issues 311 routes to Public Works.
“Our Public Works Department handles (potholes) within two business days, so those are definitely easy to fix,” Stallcup said. “We’re getting about 12,000 to 15,000 calls a week.”
KSAT obtained the city’s call data through an open records request. It shows the scope of traffic and pavement complaints.
- From Jan. 1-April 13, 2024, there were 7,073 calls to 311 about traffic and pavement issues.
- From Jan. 1-April 13, 2025, there were 8,952 calls to 311 related to traffic and pavement issues.
- In the first three months of 2026, there have been 7,672 calls for traffic and pavement issues to 311.
That volume results in residents not always getting an update when expected. Some have said they feel like their request is stalled.
If the expected timeframe passes, 311 staff encourage people to call back and reference their original report number so the case can be checked and, if needed, escalated to the department responsible.
City staff also recommend being specific when filing a report, including the nearest address or cross streets and a description of the problem, such as street flooding, blocking a driveway, water covering a roadway or a pothole that is growing after repeated rain.
Read also:
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
