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You're not missing something: they can't afford it, which is why roads are increasingly in poor condition. The trick is, communities can usually get outside su
by burlesona 7y ago
You're not missing something: they can't afford it, which is why roads are increasingly in poor condition.
The trick is, communities can usually get outside subsidy (state and federal) for _expansion_ projects. So when the road breaks down and they don't have local money to fix it, one of the strategies is to go to the higher level government for an "economic development" project to get outside money to pay for the road to be widened / expanded. This is true even when the added capacity isn't needed.
- redis_mlc 7y agoIn more detail, the old suburb requiring maintenance tries to raise taxes for it, so buyers skip it and buy in the newest suburb.
- asdff 7y agoCleveland is a model for this, but it fits probably all but 4 cities in the U.S.. The city population has been in decline for 50 years while the metro population has been stagnant for 50 years. People just move around to the latest sub division cleared out of the raw forest when the last one starts to get rough around the edges or the school district numbers waiver, then wonder why the city is so anemic and degenerate.
- jzwinck 7y agoThereby doubling the cost next time repaving is needed. Oh well, just double the lanes each time the road wears out. In a few generations the problem will go away.
- wtallis 7y agoI can see it playing out as one or two subsidized rounds of widening, and then a subsidy to "modernize" to fewer lanes, but with on-street parking or bike lanes or something like that.
- dsfyu404ed 7y agoSome people see poor condition. I see a municipality that's smart enough not to spend money it doesn't have.