Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on March 20, 2025.
Disclaimer: Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. Please check out our Terms and Conditions. Pricing, operating hours, or menus may have changed since our initial visit and may not be reflected in subsequent updates. Please confirm these directly with any business or attraction prior to visiting.
If you've been in Pittsburgh for any appreciable time, you probably have noticed how awful our roads are. The highways make no sense, roads are stacked one over the other, and there are potholes just about everywhere.
For a long time this was a frustration we simply put up with because, well, it is Pittsburgh.
It wasn't until recently that we discovered Pittsburgh's 311 service, and this new found knowledge changed our opinion of the city's operations altogether.
311 Fixes Non-Emergency City Issues
I stumbled upon the 311 service randomly while searching through Pittsburgh accounts on social media. Intrigued by their Twitter, I went to the main website to learn more.
As it turns out, the city of Pittsburgh offers a 24-hour online reporting service, and 12-hour live telephone service (7am-7pm) where you can log non-critical issues going on in the city. Anything from park problems, public safety concerns, street light issues, to debris and yes, even potholes, this service will track it and try and provide a quick resolution.
Our First Test – A 24 Hour Response
With no shortage of potholes on the road by our house, I gave it a shot. I put a request in online in the evening and by 5pm the following day not only were all of the potholes I reported filled, all of the other cracks and gaps on the street were filled in too.
I was floored. The turn around time was unreal, and I had been enduring the game of miss-the-pot-hole for months when all it took was reporting it online and waiting just a short period of time for a repair truck to come out and take care of it.
It is because of this that I realized the issue. We often expect the city to just be magically aware of issues, but it is not the case. It takes us, the citizens, to report issues that we see, and I for one am glad that Pittsburgh has a system in place to do something about it.
๐ฌ Join Our Facebook Groups
Join Things to Do in Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Photography for more local content!
So if you know of an issue in your Pittsburgh neighborhood, we recommend you report it too rather than waiting for someone to get around to it. Odds are they probably don't even know it is an issue in the first place.
After you do, comment below and let us know what the issue was and what kind of turn-around time you saw before it was fixed. If it was anything like ours, I suspect it will be quite fast.
"The Pittsburgh Guidebook" is Now Available
Our first book, The Pittsburgh Guidebook: 175 Things to Do in Pittsburgh, is on sale now!
Grab a print copy from online retailers Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org. Local distribution is coming soon. Digital downloads are available on our book's website!
Pittsburgh Discounts and Promotions
In the mood for a sale? Or perhaps you simply want to try out something new? Check out our latest Pittsburgh promotions below!
๐งฅ Get 10% Off at Steel City โ code DISCOVERTHEBURGH
๐ $40 Off your first box from Harvie
๐จ Up to 15% Off at The Oaklander
๐ฟ 20% Off foraging classes at Wyld Forest
๐ผ๏ธ 15% Off Carnegie Museums membership โ code MEMDisctheBurgh15
๐งณ $20 off 4-day luggage transfer on the GAP and $30 off 8-day transfer on the GAP & C&O with Sunshine Luggage Shuttle โ mention Discover the Burgh when inquiring.
Are you a local business that would like featured? Click here!
Find a Hotel Deal
Looking for an apartment rental? Click here to find a deal on Airbnb!
Reported a ground wasp nest on the grassy strip between the riverfront path near Millvale and a small riverside parking lot. 311 responded within several days, and said the city would not do anything about it as itโs not their job. I replied that groom was stung multiply and it could have been serious had he been allergic. 311 then invited me to call a pest control service, and they provided several #s I could call (and presumably pay for). Left a follow up message at the mayorโs office and never heard back. Gave up.
Other issues (trees leaning on power lines along Allegheny River Boulevard, a potentially leg-breaking open hole next to a sidewalk in Lawrenceville) were resolved promptly.
Pro tips: Iโve learned to call PennDOT instead of 311 for deer along state roads even if in the city. And 311 does not always work from mobile phones if youโve already exited city borders; use 412-255-2621 instead.