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Local Spotlight: "Broken City: Inside New Orleans' Chronic Dysfunction" : 1A In most places in the U.S., if you see a pothole or broken streetlight, you can contact the city to request a repair. But response times vary dramatically.

In Memphis, Tennessee, it takes an average of five days for the city to fill a pothole upon a citizen's request. Louisville, Kentucky, and Miami Florida, complete the task within a couple of weeks.

But, in New Orleans, citizens wait an average of 355 days for a pothole to be filled.

Our "Local Spotlight" series hits the road. We highlight the meaningful investigative journalism happening in your communities.

For this installment, we head to Louisiana and talk about the recent series from the Times-Picayune called "Broken City: Inside New Orleans' Chronic Dysfunction."

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

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Local Spotlight: "Broken City: Inside New Orleans' Chronic Dysfunction"

Local Spotlight: "Broken City: Inside New Orleans' Chronic Dysfunction"

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A general view of empty streets in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Graythen/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

A general view of empty streets in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

In most places in the U.S., if you see a pothole or broken streetlight, you can contact the city to request a repair. But response times vary dramatically.

In Memphis, Tennessee, it takes an average of five days for the city to fill a pothole upon a citizen's request. Louisville, Kentucky, and Miami Florida, complete the task within a couple of weeks.

But, in New Orleans, citizens wait an average of 355 days for a pothole to be filled.

Our "Local Spotlight" series hits the road. We highlight the meaningful investigative journalism happening in your communities. We head to Louisiana and talk about the recent series from the Times-Picayune called "Broken City: Inside New Orleans' Chronic Dysfunction."

We recommend the newsletter Local Matters to keep up with the best local investigations happening around the country. And if you want us to feature a story that impacts your community, send us an email or a text and include the subject line: "Local Spotlight."

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.