Filling the Gap in Cincinnati Roads
Few civic frustrations spark more complaints than potholes. They flatten tires, bend rims, and jolt drivers awake on the morning commute. In Cincinnati, the problem has escalated to the point of crisis. Crews filled nearly 43,000 potholes in 2025, almost four times the number patched the year before. City leaders admit that waiting for problems to be reported through 311 or spotted by crews is not sustainable. They are now betting on innovation to change the game.
The Pave the Way Innovation Lab, organized by Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, brings together technologists, entrepreneurs, urban planners, and civic leaders in a competition designed to reinvent how potholes are detected, repaired, and prevented. Presented in partnership with the City of Cincinnati and Tire Discounters, the lab has drawn interest well beyond city hall. The stakes are high: public safety, driver trust, and millions in repair costs.
A Competitive Sprint Toward Civic Innovation
The lab received 68 applications, a signal that entrepreneurs see road infrastructure as fertile ground for innovation. From that pool, twelve semifinalists advanced into an intensive week-long sprint where they accessed a dedicated municipal data portal and worked with mentors to refine their concepts. Out of that sprint emerged six finalists:
Roy Tal, CityRover
Evan Garcia, Odigus
Sahil Thakare and Advait Vagerwal, StreetSmart
Nathaniel Weyand-Geise, Accelerate Pothole Detection
Daniel Rayford, Journey Drones
Pradeep Ramtel, AI for Cincy Potholes
Each represents a different approach. One may lean on drones to scan streets from above, another may apply artificial intelligence to city data, while others may deploy roving sensors or new repair materials. The diversity reflects the lab’s structure, which spans three tracks: data and intelligence, communication and user experience, and materials and equipment.
Why the City Needs Fresh Solutions
Cincinnati is not alone in battling crumbling asphalt. Cities around the world are experimenting with new strategies, from Memphis using Google Cloud’s machine learning tools to identify potholes, to Boston’s now-famous “Street Bump” app that turned smartphones into passive road monitors. Academic projects have tested everything from drone-based surveying to LiDAR point clouds.
For Cincinnati, the urgency is real. This year alone the city has fielded more than 8,500 pothole repair requests, almost double last year’s pace. Each patch is temporary, weather is unpredictable, and deferred maintenance adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars. If civic leaders can shift to a proactive and data-driven model, costs could fall and repairs could be made before damage cascades.
What’s at Stake on Demo Day
The six finalists will pitch their concepts at Demo Day on September 24 at the 1819 Innovation Hub. Community members, civic officials, and a panel of judges will evaluate each idea. The winner earns a $5,000 grant, courtesy of Tire Discounters, and the chance to advance toward pilot projects with the city. More importantly, the lab creates a pipeline for future collaborations. Flywheel and city officials have emphasized that even non-winning ideas could be cultivated into longer-term solutions.
This approach reflects Cincinnati’s broader embrace of civic innovation labs, which invite entrepreneurs and community members to reimagine government services. The model is relatively inexpensive, costing about $40,000 to run, yet it can unlock outsized benefits by leveraging private-sector creativity for public problems.
The Road Ahead
The city’s challenge is not only to select a winning concept but also to commit to testing it on actual streets. Innovation in road maintenance must be more than a headline. It requires budget, training, and integration into the workflow of public works crews. Residents will judge success not in pitch decks but in smoother rides, fewer claims for vehicle damage, and a sense that their complaints are heard.
If successful, Cincinnati could join a global movement of cities using technology, design, and entrepreneurship to modernize how infrastructure is maintained. Potholes may be a daily nuisance, but they also represent an opportunity. By turning frustration into fuel for innovation, Cincinnati is paving the way for a smarter and safer future.