Port Townsend neglects means crumbling streets | Letter to the editor

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The “pothole” crew did its annual maintenance on my street this week. It reminds me that President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, ostensibly for roads and bridges, passed one year ago. 

Can we get some of that money for re-paving Uptown residential streets? Does the town have any plan — multi-year, of course — to address the crumbling streets of Uptown?

I have talked to neighbors who have lived here much longer than me — say, 20 to 30 years — who can’t remember any such thing but the current paste-and-patch approach. The shoulders of most of these streets are breaking up, resorting to the town making some parts one-way now in an effort to prolong the center pavement.

New development areas in the Port Townsend region obviously need modern roads and sidewalks.

But old sections seem to be ignored. We have pricey Victorian homes sitting in front of broken-up asphalt.

We are all taxpayers and should have some role in setting priorities. Mine would be to seriously begin to address Uptown streets. (Other parts of PT certainly will have other priorities.) And state and federal grants should be available for a National Historic Landmark District (since 1977!).

John Delaney
PORT TOWNSEND