By: Diane Benjamin
The east side of Bloomington has been getting some better roads this summer. East Oakland is great now and part of E Washington. Still a LONG ways to go, but how’s the rest of the City?
Evidently Fox Creek road is so bad that a motorcyclist lost control in a pot holes last week. Of course it didn’t make the news, but City crews ran out and threw some asphalt around. They neglected to pick up road kill on front of a day care center though.
It’s getting easier all the time to see local government has one set of priorities and the citizens have a totally different set. Renner et all wants development downtown, an expanded zoo, and he wants to dictate what businesses are allowed where. Citizens want good roads, no sewage in the basement, and no dodging of bullets in their neighborhood. Citizens also don’t want to see THEIR money being wasted by awful management while the Council is hell-bent on raising taxes. Funny thing-citizens expect their government to work for them, not declare war because they have an agenda.
Here’s some Fox Creek Road pics, the first one is the road kill, I hear the spell is awesome:
Looks like a skunk to me.
They need to get IDOT to patch Fox Creek Rd. like they have Veteran’s Pkwy. Then come back and patch over patch’s to create an artistic mosaic for a ride like riding waves.
Part of the problem is who is getting the contract to build these streets and doing shoddy work. I probably don’t have to mention the name of that local company.
With that said west Washington St. near where Funks Seed Co. used to be at is worse. Since Market St. is closed more traffic is using Washington.
We have to credit Hales and Renner and the city council, less one for the road conditions in Bloomington.
Ha!! That is near the bike trail to Shirley along Route 66. The bridge over the railroad is worse.
What exactly do you want done? You do not want more taxes but you want more out of our city? Diane why don’t you run for mayor, and save the city. Save us all!!!! Oh wait you rather talk about problems and not solutions that make since. Find a new hobby. haha Then again keep going I love laughing at your “articles” and people’s comments.
I would if I lived in Bloomington! It’s not that difficult to scrap flamingos, end spending downtown, end consultants, get competent management at the Coliseum with a contract favoring citizens, tell the BCPA to break even, cut Hales’ staff, hire an in-house lawyer again, quit paying penalties for pensions expense and water violations, appoint one person to handle all City collections, fire the communications director – how’s that for the first week?
Solutions that make SENSE!! How about a free market with equal playing field for all. Do you realize how many developers are getting rich off subsidies from the city through TIFs, property tax abatements and sales tax abatements? That is revenue that is lost to the city and the burden to make up for that loss is put on the ordinary taxpayer, both individual and business. The City, like most governing bodies, is not a good steward of the money that they collect from the citizens. The government should only be responsible for providing for roads, clean water, sanitation and safety. Everything else can be provided by a private enterprise or done without.
How many things does local government have to screw up before citizens understand that?
I would say streets and infrastructure should be a top priority for a municipal government. If there are pot holes so big they are causing people on motorcycles to crash with injuries – that is a pretty serious problem. I agree with the previous comment about west Washington Street. It is terrible and unsafe pavement. I use both West Washington Street and Fox Creek Road on a daily basis. I also live in Fox Creek subdivision where my property taxes are substantial. I can attest to the two dead animals that have been on the bridge over the interstate that have been there all week. They do smell and there is animal blood and guts spread all over the pavement for about a block.
Most of the folks here just want the city to take care of basic needs and then but-out.
What’s really sad is that the roads in the pictures look better than other potholes in Bloomington. Some potholes out there should be classified as canyons!
HAE
Look at Lafayette Street between Main and Morrissey–It has been blocked randomly for over a month. Work is done for half a day, then blocked again. The road is now worse than when the COB started. Of course, no one from the City will acknowledge the fact nor comment when this monumental project will be completed. Nor the reason why the road is rougher than a cob. But most can imagine why the COB (cob) is going INto DEEP debt by the inch. A little at a time–much like the work on this street.
OUCH!!