Every cyclist knows the fear of hitting a pothole and cringing in hopes that your bike doesn’t go flying. What many don’t know is that the City of Philadelphia has a non-emergency hotline to report potholes and make requests for things like sweeping, maintenance, illegal dumping, graffiti, and more.

Philly 311 provides citizens with means to report an issue on any platform, by phone, email, social media, or in person.

The easiest way to report a problem is to download the Philly 311 app for IOS or Android, and create an account.

To “submit a request”, you’ll be offered some options.  Potholes can be specifically reported by clicking “pothole repair” and answering some questions.

If you have another bike related issue, use “Other” for things such as faded bike lanes, requesting a lane be swept, and reporting dead delineator posts or an abandoned bicycle that is cluttering up your favorite bike rack.

We strongly recommend that you take a picture, and using the app or reporting via the Philly 311 website allows you to receive an incident report in order to track the progress of your request.

Requests can also be made by phone by dialing 3-1-1, or via email to Philly311@phila.gov. Philly 311 can also be reached through social media, although requesting formally online rather than contacting the city through Twitter or Facebook proves to be more efficient.

A Walk-in Center is also available Monday-Friday from 8:15am-4:15pm at room 167 of City Hall.