LETTERS: Potholes and skin patches in the Falls

Niagara Gazette

May 05, 2008 05:57 pm

— Potholes and skin patches in the Falls
Every spring, the city of Niagara Falls spends substantial funds and effort plugging potholes and skin patching rough pavement areas. Jut as surely, traffic removes much of this work and nearly all of the rest is pulled out by the next winter’s snowplows. An exercise in futility which assures employment for the Public Works employees, but in the 85 years I can recall, it has never produced streets of which anyone can be proud. Our rough rides also help the auto dealers as our cars shake apart prematurely.
Recent years have produced excellent equipment to remove deteriorated pavement to a level base. Paving equipment, using lasers, can place surface free of bumps and dips over which it is a pleasure to ride without damage to your car.
In view of experience, skin patching should be abandoned, only dangerous pot holes fixed, and removal and replacement of deteriorated pavement proceed as fast as possible on a traffic-priority basis, until all this deteriorated pavement has been replaced.
To maintain high quality roads, it is essential that any pavement repairs for plumbing breaks or manhole work be carefully repaired with properly compacted backfill and smoothly repaved to leave no dips or humps.
If the Public Works Department is incapable of this kind of program, it is time for the city to hire a competent contractor.
How much longer must we tolerate these terrible roads? Why don’t we put some of that casino money we dribble away into fixing the worst feature of Niagara Falls?
Tom Hooker
Youngstown

Thanks to Lew-Port school board
I would like to congratulate the Lewiston Board of Education for holding the line on taxes. I want the children of this community to have a top-notch education, but as a taxpayer on a fixed income, I just can’t afford to pay higher school taxes.
It seems like for two years, two sides have been arguing over stopping tax increases and maintaining student programs. It is nice to finally see everyone at Lew-Port working together to do both. Please keep up the great work. Keep my taxes from rising while making Lew-Port a great school we can all be proud of.
Rachel Foran
Lewiston