"We're more focused," Leopardi said. "We're running our paver every day. We're using up twice as much asphalt as we were last year."

Leopardi's crews are finishing up work on the Wai'anae Coast and later this month expect to start in Waimanalo, then work their way up the Windward Coast through Kailua to Kane'ohe. The hope is to get a lot of work done before the winter rains set in, he said.

Shortly after Hannemann took office, he declared a "war on potholes," saying that basic city services had been neglected in years past and that the city needed to catch up, with increased emphasis on fixing roads, sewers and public safety issues.

He cited increasing complaints about the deteriorating roads.

Hannemann's plan called for spending $1 million on the short-term fixes of patching potholes and providing a "first-aid" coating. It also called for nearly $70 million for more extensive road work.

From January through July, the city patched 29,408 potholes, according to figures provided by Leopardi. That's fewer than the 50,951 for the same period a year earlier, but Leopardi said that's due in part to heavy rains in 2004 that took their toll on the roads.

Leopardi said the city is working to be more consistent at fixing potholes and the statistics for this year show less month-to-month variation.

He said the city is using three major tools in his division alone: patching, which they try to do quickly; block patching, in which they pave a larger area and roll it down; and what they call "first-aid," which amounts to applying a thin layer of asphalt to a larger area.

Only the traditional patches show up in the statistics, Leopardi explained, even though the block-patching and the first-aid fill hundreds more potholes.

Meanwhile, another department is planning for more expensive and time-consuming resurfacing projects.

A number of drivers interviewed said they still see some potholes but not as many, and they seem to be getting fixed faster.

Brent Pi'ilani, a land surveyor from Kaimuki, said he has seen fewer potholes lately, which makes him feel better about his tires, alignment and safety.

"It's better now. Before it was pretty terrible," he said.

Sheryl Aggacid lives in Kalihi Valley, works in Kaka'ako and has felt her share of bumps from the rutted roads.

"I see improvement," she said. "The road is smooth, better than before. At least they fix it now."

Leopardi said he sees the crews making more of an impact with the increased focus on core work such as potholes.

In previous years, he said his crews split time between other city-sponsored activities, including such oceanfront festivities as Brunch on the Beach, Sunset on the Beach movies and dedications.

Leopardi said the city still struggles to hire qualified workers in a tight job market. He said his division has 437 funded positions, with more than 100 job openings.

But for the crews that he has, Leopardi has noticed that they work more efficiently when they're focusing on the same task daily. "You always have to be out there," he said.

And even though the city is making progress on the pothole problem, Leopardi said he isn't satisfied. "I want more," he said. With about 3,400 lane miles of city road, "there's always work for us."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.