Though his detractors forget this, one reason why Don Cunningham
was so effective as Bethlehem's Mayor is because he aggressively attacked
roads. Unlike most politicians, he understood how important good roads are to a
community. He may have recognized that there's also a political dividend. But
as the cost of materials increase and other municipal expenses mount, it is
becoming very for many Lehigh Valley communities to maintain their roads. I
have an idea that might sound ridiculous, but just might work - depaving.
According to LVPC Executive Director Becky
Bradley, there are 4,105 miles of roads in the Lehigh Valley. Most - 3,046
miles - are owned by local communities. Do they all really need to be paved?
Depaving roads has gone on for some time
in other states. In
Texas, a funding shortage in 2013 forced the state to depave 80 miles of roads.
But it's apparently going on in at least 27 states, according to Wired.
This is because, in addition to limited public dollars, the costs of asphalt,
cement and concrete have gone up.
In Bethlehem Township, it will cost
about $3.9 million to repair about 9,000 ft along Brodhead Road. That
has to be done. But what about low volume roads like Wilson Avenue, which runs
parallel to the Lehigh River? It might make sense to depave that road.
I am sure there are numerous low-volume
roads, even in Lehigh Valley cities that could be depaved. Roads in City parks,
for example, should probably be unpaved.
State
funding is available for communities looking at depaving roads.
16 comments:
It is unfortunate that in the 21st century we are deciding to go back to dirt roads. What ever happened to us?
might be on to something. more permeable surface too.
What about a Broadhead use tax for the truck companies that dominate the roadway.
Let's forget tar and chip. It's destroying vehicles. Dirt is better.
If you are serious about de-paving roads in city parks, I'd suggest banning automobiles in those parks before you do so. Repetitive heavy vehicular traffic on unpaved roads causes ruts and erosion. That would not be good for the nearby streams nor for pedestrians or cyclists in the Allentown and Bethlehem parks systems. Un-paved roads in heavy traffic areas require more, not less, routine maintenance to make them safe and acceptable for the surrounding park environment.
You could start with Trexler Memorial Park. Cars have been banned on those roads for years.
@4:57am What happened is that government unions have raised the amount of wages and benifits so high that it squeezes out funds for road maintenance.
So we all pay for this in several ways. High taxes, rotten roads, and now they want to take off the asphalt so we go back to the 1920s with dirt roads and ruts in them
Municipalities pay thousands to install "speed humps" on certain streets to prevent cars from speeding but then fix the pot holes. I say get rid of the "speed humps" and keep the damn pot holes. Problem solved!
8:08, I am quite serious, I do not propose depaving roads with heavy traffic or that might result in erosion. You are absolutely right. I propose depaving low impact roads and replacing with gravel or a permeable substance. Cities are 5 degrees hotter than suburbs and one of the reasons for this is bc too much of the area is paved. I would not just go out and rip open a road. I would consult with outfits like the one at PSU that has been doing this in other areas of the state. parks in particular should not have paved roads.
"What about a Broadhead use tax for the truck companies that dominate the roadway."
I like the idea and believe it is constitutional but think it is unworkable.
It is a terrible idea to depave roads. Do we want to become a third world country? All the infrastructure including roads were built when we as a country were far less prosperous and had less equipment and technology. It is despicable that we are not maintaining and upgrading it.
Transportation and good roads are far more important than stadiums and arenas that get built. We certainly should not follow the examples of Texas or other similar states. I like to think that I live in civilization.
I agree it would be terrible to depave roads that get sa lot of traffic. But what about roads that are hardly ever used? They have to be re-paved every 7-10 years and that costs money. Why should Wilson Avenue, which runs parallel to the Lehigh River and is in a flood plain and is hardly ever traveled, be paved?
Bernie @3:51,
The folks who live on Wilson Avenue would certainly disagree with you. Could you imagine trying to plow snow off of a dirt road? By spring, it would be impassible because of the mud.
I spend a lot of time for work in Susquehanna county and upstate NY. Most roads with only a few houses on them are dirt/gravel but are still well maintained with a smooth surface. Unfortunately a lot of them end in abrupt dead-ends despite what GPS says, but so be it. There are few, but still some roads I feel should be maintained in this manner in the Lehigh Valley. Roads like Constitution Drive in Allentown (you only drive down that road if you are trying to illegally dump) or Wilson Ave as Bernie mentioned. The only issue I notice in those areas with dirt/gravel roads is that in dry times, a passing car leaves a giant dust cloud.
The dust cloud is a problem. No question there are cons.
Dust is a problem, yes. It can be minimized with brine or oil. HORRORS! (Not so; oil is a naturally occurring substance. Used wisely, it has minimal effect on the environment. Oil has seeped into western Pa. streams naturally for centuries.) And ruts or holes can be easily controlled with a twice-monthly pass by a road grader. We did this for a half-century. Erosion is a problem on hilly surfaces, not so much on level ones.
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