Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte
There’s so much construction throughout the city that safe sidewalks should be a top priority. I live near Davis Square so the photos are from Elm St. Where the sidewalks are particularly bad? Here’s what you said.
“The sidewalks on School between Medford Street and Highland Ave. are horrible. All ripped up by GLX and the city and we never know what will be open. Take a look next time you’re in the neighborhood.”
“Most of the street closures is because the gas lines are being replaced. Has to do with that gas explosion in Lawrence a few years back. Some main line from Woburn all the way to Lynn, and branch lines that are done street by street and block by block.”
“I had to stop bringing my mom to her beloved Davis Square because it was not to be navigated in a wheelchair. We could go to her hair dresser’s on Holland, the “show” and Mr. Crepe, but no farther. Cobblestone is the devil underfoot.” Terrible!
“Completely agree. Falls can be life altering. And nobody cares. “Limited liability.”
“The sidewalks on School between Medford Street and Highland Ave are horrible. All ripped up by GLX and the city and we never know what will be open. Take a look next time you’re in the neighborhood.”
I found this little morsel of information, now remember this is what was on social media:
Commissioner used contractors for sidewalk repairs and wasn’t watching the budget. There’s no more money for sidewalk repairs till next July. Bills are being paid and many vendors shut off the city. They’re in a mess. No tree crew and using contractors for that also.
So basically, the dangerous sidewalks are here for a while. Be extra careful walking.
If you take a trip to Davis Square, don’t trip.
Jimmy, everything in this article is spot on. I jog thru Davis regularly and more times than not I use the street, because of the hazardous raised sidewalks and cobblestones. I can’t imagine what it is like for a senior using a walker or in a wheelchair. The city streets are not much better and are in deplorable shape as well. Patched and repatched again from all the Eversource digging. Not very safe for a bicyclist mind you, when will some of them be repaved? Glad you mentioned the trees. Have you seen the trees on the corner of Beacon and Washington lately, in front of the Cheese And Wine Cask. Branches almost hanging down to the ground. Who is watching the books? Where did all the money go? Inexcusable. We need to start holding the mayor and these so-called city councilors accountable, they are supposed to be working for their constituents.
It’s completely inexcusable for the city to claim that they don’t have the money available. They somehow find the money to fund traffic changes that almost nobody wants, fund a ridiculous number of speed bumps, spend thousands of dollars painting Magoun Square with a Black Lives Matter mural only to have it get wiped away within days, fund a site for drug users to shoot up, create more and more agencies and committees, etc.
Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?