Lorain/Elyria, OH
Elyria expects windfall in road repair funding
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ELYRIA — Next year, the city hopes to get double or triple its usual amount of money from the state’s Issue 2 program, which will pave the way for more road projects.
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PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR 2009 |
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City Council learned Monday that the city’s normal $600,000 to $700,000 allotment could jump to almost $1.8 million once the 2009 round of projects is approved.
The fund, commonly used to pay for road resurfacing and repair projects in the city, is increasing thanks in part to Gov. Ted Strickland’s economic stimulus package, which includes a provision to make more money available for road work.
The goal is to increase the number of construction jobs available in the state next year, as well as encourage economic growth, Assistant County Engineer John Hamilton said.
Mayor Bill Grace said the city’s Engineering Department already is putting together a list of streets that have the greatest need for repairs. City officials will find out in the next couple of months which projects will be approved.
“We first heard that we were getting double — now they say it could be triple,” said John Schneider, assistant city engineer. “We’re hedging our bets and submitting applications for almost $2 million in projects with the hope that as many as possible are approved. These are mostly commercial streets that are close to schools and are in greatest need of repair.”
Issue 2 projects typically require the city to pick up about 11 percent of the project’s total cost, with the state picking up the rest, Schneider said.
Grace said the city could definitely use the extra money.
“It will help, but we’ll still be faced with the fact that even though we spend more money on roads each year, we are paving fewer streets because the cost has gone up so much,” he said. “We have increased the money spent by 53 percent, but the costs have increased by 65 percent.”
Grace said the proposed projects are mostly heavily traveled main roads because side streets are not eligible for Issue 2 funds.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
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Now if the streets in repair can really be chosen because they are in the greatest need of repair and not just placed on the list for political purposes such as a city employee or city politition lives on the street this is good news , but somehow i am sure it will get turned around into a bid for more taxes ……
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By next year, all the material will cost 4 times as much, so it won’t all get done.
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Wow…. the city gets extra money for road repairs and you complain…… Instead of a new Mayor…. maybe you need a new city…. there’s Lorain…. Toledo….Sandusky…..
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I’m glad I don’t live in Elyria anymore. I live in Avon and we are getting a beautiful new rec. center and baseball field - paid for in part by a tax increase, b.t.w., voted in by taxpayers.
Elyria has been wasting money for years. I lived there for 20 years and the ONE time I called police, they did not show up for 2-1/2 hours - middle of the night and my house was being broken into. I was there alone with 2 small children, and it took them TWO and ONE HALF hous to show up - lucky we weren’t all dead by then !!!!!
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Aterryw
So you don’t think anyone should be let go or replaced because of our bad roads in Elyria?
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I think it is more than the “Mayor†who is responsible for the roads. Yes it’s very easy to point a one person but it more then 1 person, but is it because they didn’t do their job or didn’t have the money to fix the roads? But then again the Elyria taxpayers don’t vote for renewals or new taxes to support Police, Fireman, swimming pools…etc…
The fire station next to the Chemical plant downtown if it’s still open, (don’t go downtown much) should be closed, because if the Chemical plant blows up, the fire station is gone too. They would able to get there just as easy from the Broad Street station where there are HOMES nearby. But am sure that the neighbors would complain about the sirens going off to help their own neighbors…
But the big thing they got/found extra money to fix additional roads, and people are complaining about that…
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We already pay for road repair , there was a $20 increase to every licenses plate sold in lorain county , and also the tax on Gas , and that money has been wasted or spent somewhere else , now they want us to pay again . that is why people have a hard time paying NEW taxes when the OLD taxes were wasted. I have no complaints of them fixing more roads , just fix the ones that honestly need fixed and not just because it is the stret the Mayor lives on
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Then call the Office and let the “Mayor” know that… that there are other streets besides his in worse condition..etc..
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aterryw:
First of all, I believe this article was about roads, but since you’ve veered off topic, let me address your comments.
The fire station downtown is open and the sirens are going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I would know because I live two blocks away. Hmm…I guess that would mean that there ARE homes nearby that fire station!!! Fancy that.
I have a problem with your idea of a closing a fire st ation simply because it MIGHT blow up because a chemical plant is nearby. Does that mean that there shouldn’t be a fire station nearby to help the people who are at the plant in case it blows up? Should we close down any other vital stations in our city just because something terrible MIGHT happen? The police station, maybe? Perhaps a drunk driver could swerve off of the road and come crashing thorugh the font and injure others…we’d better close it.
I have an idea…why not use BOTH stations. One station could take care of one section of the city and the other could take care of another section and they can both help each other because like I said…the station downtown is running constantly.
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To address the issue about roads…hey, we’re getting more money and no matter how you slice it or dice it, that’s great for our city. Sure, the costs for road repair will go up and sure there’s bound to be some political agendas, but the truth there isn’t a road in this town that doesn’t need help anyway. Quite frankly, I know the locations that are being listed for repairs and there are some really heavily traveled roads on that list that are used as throughways, etc. No matter what, I’m glad to hear that we’re getting a windfall and I hope it really comes through.
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