Thoughts On This Winter And Beyond

This past winter has been very rough on our streets and the rising gas prices will be even rougher on our wallets in the months (and years) ahead. The state has already announced their pothole repair days along the Interstates but the local roads are really showing signs of deterioration in some locales.

The one spot that comes to mind first is the Avenue of Champions. The portion just west of the Rose St intersection. It always seems to be in a state of collapse into a pothole. One day they will just have to excavate all the subsurface and solve the problem for good.

Elsewhere there are developing problems on Chinoe Rd, in the s-curve south of the traffic light at Lakewood Dr. Boy is it getting rough. Speaking of the Lakewood light, does anybody know why it is still there?

I remember that when I was growing up there was a problem getting out onto Chinoe from the side streets and that there were quite a few residents with power and wealth living there. I am sure that they were the ones who requested and got that light. But times have changed. There are now more ways to get out of the side streets and the traffic on Chinoe is not as intense. So, why is the light still there? Should there not be some mechanism to remove traffic signals like this?

Then there is High St. from Ashland to the center of downtown. Alligatoring of the pavement every so often and some potholes that have formed and been patched, yet are beginning to fail again. I am sure that you know of others around town in the same shape.

The Division of Streets and Roads's budget has taken a big hit this winter with all the salt use and overtime for the drivers. There may be enough to work on the potholes now but the budget for next year is being asked to be trimmed by 4%. Just in time for the petroleum based material sued in roadway repair to rise by double that. At this point we may have to live with failing roads.

Lexington has not left itself in a good position to deal with rising oil prices. We have spread our residential subdivisions far from the supposedly centralized shopping and service providing commercial areas. The occupants of those subdivisions will fight for the services which they believe that they are entitled, but they will want everybody else to help pay for them.

At some point, and I believe it will be soon, we will have to make some very tough choices about where we will live. I think that I have set myself up fairly well but even I will have to make some more sacrifices.

These are some of the topics that we will have to tackle during the next deliberation on the Comprehensive Plan, and that is coming up soon. Sooner than you think.