pinklemonade7 t1_j10rsmu wrote on December 20, 2022 at 8:53 PM

I know what you mean. Sidewalks and roads are typically shitty here. I’ve lived in many other states (south, north, west), and cities like Buffalo and Chicago suburbs despite heavy snow and being quite old do not have crappy pothole laden and cracked/overgrown intermittent sidewalks. But I don’t think this is an indication of suburbs dying. People think these streets and sidewalks are normal, it’s not uncommon to see an old frail person walking/little kids biking/strollers on the street along heavy traffic even though it gives me a ton of anxiety over safety issues.

Clollin OP t1_j117grl wrote on December 20, 2022 at 10:38 PM

>People think these streets and sidewalks are normal

That's exactly what I'm seeing in this thread. I mean, it's all relative: Certain third-world countries have even worse roads than Massachusetts, perhaps by far. But most of the US that I've seen has much better roads and sidewalks. As do places as diverse as Japan, Moscow (sorry, showing my Russian troll roots here. I'm reformed, I swear.), etc.

-Horatio_Alger_Jr- t1_j1aaaw7 wrote on December 22, 2022 at 8:41 PM

>But most of the US that I've seen has much better roads and sidewalks.

Yet we pay the second highest rate for road work in the country (140k a mile).

Clollin OP t1_j1bq2u2 wrote on December 23, 2022 at 3:01 AM

I believe that's due to higher labor wages. Which are probably a good thing. But may also be one of the reasons the roads can't get repaved.

-Horatio_Alger_Jr- t1_j1cww2q wrote on December 23, 2022 at 10:53 AM

There was a study done that I read earlier this year that showed that we do have higher than nation average wages, but it wasn't that much higher than the national average. One of the states (in the Midwest I think) pay around 20k a mile and have wages sitting 7-17% higher than the national average.

The 3 highest cost per mile states are NJ at 200k, MA at 145k, and HI at 86k (i think that was the number).

I will have to look for the article again (I will link it to you if I have time to find it), but worker labor costs are not the reason our roads cost so much to maintain.