Editorial

The road ahead

Posted 9/16/14

Road repairs have become the new rallying cry for candidates and members of the City Council.

It’s no wonder that the condition of city roads resonates with so many. This past winter yielded a …

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Editorial

The road ahead

Posted

Road repairs have become the new rallying cry for candidates and members of the City Council.

It’s no wonder that the condition of city roads resonates with so many. This past winter yielded a bumper crop of potholes. Not only did freeze-thaw conditions produce a rash of bone jarring and damaging craters, but it also focused attention on the city’s aging roads and the ongoing program to address the worst of the city’s 2,000 roads, with a total of nearly 400 miles of asphalt. At one time, the administration budgeted $1 million a year to road upkeep, an amount that has declined to about half that.

It wouldn’t seem that that could make much of a dent but, surprisingly, it plays a part in the Department of Public Works’ ability to leverage city funds with those of National Grid and other utilities. National Grid is in the process of replacing many of its older gas lines. The Kent County Water Authority is also replacing pipes. The utilities can do this by cutting a narrow trench, which is then repaved, to leave a path of new asphalt down an older road. In some instances the city has required National Grid to repave the entire road, but more often, by sharing the cost, the city stretches its road budget while giving residents a repaved road.

In addition, the city has delayed some roads, knowing that the neighborhood is scheduled to get sewers in several years and those roads will get repaved as a matter of course. That is prudent.

But the cry to do something sooner persists.

The City Council sought to do something, budgeting an additional $1 million for roads. Mayor Scott Avedisian vetoed that budget amendment and advocated for a $5 million road bond.

The bond looked to provide some relief, provided it met voter approval. But the bond issue didn’t gain council approval in time for the November ballot, meaning unless there is a special election, voters won’t get their say until 2016. That puts off a stepped up road repair program until 2017 at the earliest.

As several council members have said that bonding not only postpones a stepped up program, it is also a poor mechanism for road repairs. They are right.

Over 20 years, Warwick taxpayers will end up paying $8 million for $5 million worth of repairs that are not likely to last anywhere near 20 years. This is not a judicious use of bonds.

So, what should the city do?

We think the administration’s effort to evaluate roads and arrive at an annual program that maintains and improves roads is the first step. Until we know how much, simply putting more money on the table doesn’t offer a systematic program. The system also needs to be free of politics. Equally dividing the money between nine wards doesn’t make sense. Identifying and targeting roads most heavily traveled and in worst condition does make sense.

Indeed, if the city is headed for another surplus, transferring some of those funds would be helpful. But really, what needs to be addressed first is creating a program. Then consider how to fund it.

Comments

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  • davebarry109

    There is no excuse for not fixing potholes. Little money to fill holes. Get it done.

    Wednesday, September 17, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    What's this?? " If the city is headed for another surplus"?? That sounds like another year of being overtaxed. Cut the taxes, BALANCE the BUDGET, and quit the BS budget gimmicks that Avedisian has pulled year after year.

    Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Report this