This is National Public Works Week and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown used the occasion to announce welcome news for many residents and for that matter, visitors to Buffalo. At least 75 streets are scheduled to be repaved this summer, many of them residential streets.  The city has dedicated $7.5-million to the project which began this week with the repaving of three streets in the Hamlin Park area of Buffalo.

Nearly every area of the city will see repaving work this year.  Residents and businesses affected by the work will be notified with flyers or door hangers.  In most cases the work will take three to five days to complete.

I looked at the long list of streets to see where some work is scheduled this summer and nowhere did I see Washington Street in downtown Buffalo.  It has to rank up there among the worst streets in the city and it's one of the most heavily used streets.

In the block between East Huron and East Mohawk there is a large hole that hasn't seen any attention in years.  If you're an unsuspecting driver, especially when it's dark or raining, you're in for a huge jolt if you're unable to avoid it.  And that says nothing about the damage you can expect to your vehicle.

I'm not sure what it is about Washington Street.  Over the years when it has been repaved it seems that within a few weeks some utility crew is digging it up again.  Clay Moden has suggested that it might be a good idea to install a zipper along Washington Street so they can open and close it with a minimum of disruption.

Or maybe the city can coordinate their paving schedule with the utilities to see if they have any planned infrastructure upgrades.  That's what seems to happen on Washington Street far too often.

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