Paul Carlson: Potholes galore in Northampton

Those who drive the streets of Northampton, both residents and non-residents, are totally fed up with the state of the roads throughout the city. I for one frequently drive roads trying to avoid having a tire blown by ever deepening potholes that have remained unfixed for weeks, months and even longer. I thought last year was bad but this year is the pits!

One would think that the mayor, City Council, department heads (DPW in particular), who I would expect also drive our streets, would be concerned with the safety of emergency vehicles (ambulances, police and fire) not to mention school buses and vans as well as the elderly or handicapped drivers. Large potholes blow tires and can easily cause accidents not to mention unexpected costly repairs to damaged vehicles!

How about those holes on South Street, Easthampton Road, Rocky Hill Road (Rt66), Florence Road, Riverside Drive, Summer Street, Bright Street, or just add your own experiences to what is sure to be an expansive list. These streets are all frequently traveled and on some there is significant travel volume. The craters on South Street have been there for over several months, as have those on Summer Street (marked with orange cones).

Of additional concern is that there seems to be no prioritization as to what gets fixed first, is anyone really thinking about safety? This administration needs to get back to basics! They seem to have enough funds to address re-picturing Main Street and the Community Resource Hub (an unfinished $3 million church that has no parking). How much does it cost to repair potholes? City government needs to wake up!

Paul Carlson

Florence