Miami-Dade residents create petition for county to allocate funding towards road resurfacing
Residents in Miami-Dade's Redland area are mobilizing to compel county officials to allocate dedicated annual funding for road resurfacing and maintenance, citing dangerous and deep potholes that frequently damage vehicles. The effort centers around a Change.org petition that is nearing its signature goal.
Michael Wanek, a Redland resident, pointed to a specific pothole on Southwest 168th Street, which he estimates is "about 4-5 inches deep" and large enough for him to stand in. Wanek noted that while the county sometimes fills the holes, the repairs do not last, especially when the rainy season arrives.
"When the rainy season hits, these will get much deeper; they'll be filled with water. And then you can't see it. You're driving at night. You don't see the pothole. Boom," Wanek said.
After unproductive conversations with the county, Wanek helped launch a Change.org petition demanding that the county set aside funds annually for resurfacing and maintenance across the region.
"Why don't you have the money? This is critical infrastructure," Wanek said.
The issue of faulty roads extends beyond Redland. DoorDash driver Diego Ascanio in Doral stated that potholes on Northwest 25th Street—a county-maintained road—have damaged his tires.
"You always hit them. There's no way that you're not gonna hit a pothole here in Doral," Ascanio said. Ascanio supports the petition, arguing that drivers should not have to worry about a day's pay being "wiped away by fixing car damage from faulty roads". "I wish they could fix up the roads that seriously do need some help. I think it would be a greater change for the community," he added.
In response to inquiries from CBS News Miami, a spokesperson for Mayor Daniela Levine Cava's office and the County Department of Transportation and Public Works stated that the county has invested $12 million in funding for 40 road resurfacing projects in rural areas since 2018 and repaired more than 1,200 potholes in 2025.
County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins supports the petition. She noted that she helped secure $3.2 million for road repair in Redland last year and is seeking even more funding in the next budget. The county is also conducting an assessment of all county-maintained roads, which is expected to be completed in September.