By: Diane Benjamin
The City of Bloomington supposedly has a policy of not fixing roads if the water lines need replaced. It’s a great policy that eliminates having to resurface roads numerous times because of water main breaks.
Evidently downtown roads don’t fall under that policy. Yesterday this was posted to the website: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/Home/Components/News/News/10139/1394
Front Street, East Street to Center Street Closed Effective Immediately
Post Date:09/11/2024 8:23 AM
Beginning immediately, Front Street, from East Street to Center Street, will be closed to all traffic due to water work. This section of Front Street will be reopened as soon as work is completed.
Below is a screen shot of that area from the City pavement ratings map: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/36eea74c6ede4cd08e7d6ec03ed14246
Since using colors that are easy to distinguish is too difficult, you have to click on Front St to find out those 2 sections of Front have a rating of 7.
Zoom out on the ratings map above. The City had to tear up parts of one of the best roads in Bloomington.
Downtown matters more than anywhere else in the city and has for decades. It will continue being the focus until better representatives are elected. I don’t see that happening anytime soon since voters have had numerous opportunities and failed.
Evidently citizens like paying for fixing roads more than once.
I wish they would put some level of concern and accountability in these bars and restaurants keeping their sidewalks clean. Walk downtown any day of the week and the sidewalks are littered with bar trash. Plastic cups, straws, bottle caps, and outside fat jacks the other day an empty bottle of vodka…not just some small plastic bottle from a gas station, a large glass 5th. How does this happen? Downtown is disgusting. Dont even get me started on the alleys……how hard is it for these places to just send one employee out at the end of the night or even the next morning, with a broom and just walk their property?