Terrible Roads (Colorado Springs, Fountain: sales, income, maintenance)

[Canuck_in_FL]

What the deal with these horrible roads around CO Springs? Powers is bad, Fountain is just F***ed. I have yet to see a road besides I25 that isn't awful. Why does the city ignore this problem?

[jazzlover]

Because Colorado Springs, just like just about everyplace else in Colorado, is growing and sprawling faster than resources and revenues are available to maintain--much less expand--any infrastructure. So long as Colorado continues to grow its population as quickly, and as stupidly--as it is now, the problems will only get worse. Get used to it.

[Postal]

Weather conditions play a big factor as well. Constant heating and cooling of the roads with the ice and all the crap they throw down are not great for keeping them nice and smooth.

[xfrmax]

Low taxes = poor roads. You can't have everything unfortunately. The roads have been bad since the 80's.

[Vision67]

Simple answer. People here prefer lower taxes in lieu of better government services. Would you be willing to pay higher taxes?

[Canuck_in_FL]

Ok, so the roads are bad and it'll never change. Great.

I understand that it takes money to make them better, but they NEED to re-paint the lines on most roads. This black patch stuff doesn't count. At night I can barely tell if I'm in one lane or two. Most cities also have reflectors on the lines. But here it's a free-for-all.

If they can't fix the roads, where do the tax dollars go?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_FL

Ok, so the roads are bad and it'll never change. Great.

I understand that it takes money to make them better, but they NEED to re-paint the lines on most roads. This black patch stuff doesn't count. At night I can barely tell if I'm in one lane or two. Most cities also have reflectors on the lines. But here it's a free-for-all.

If they can't fix the roads, where do the tax dollars go?

I didn't think the roads were that bad as far as potholes and cracks but I totally did notice the lack of high contrast road stripes for lanes and such. I think it has to do with the weather, road plows, maybe sand, sun, freezing/melting. Not much you can do except keep repainting unless there is a new scientific discovery. Can't do reflectors because the snow plows would scrape them off??

[EscapeCalifornia]

You could always move to Southern California and pay $400/sq ft for housing, 8.25% sales tax, $6000/yr in property tax, 9% income tax, $400/yr car tax, etc. The roads are great. In fact, they're going to tear up some major roads around here for resurfacing. Of course, these roads are in fine shape already but that won't stop them from spending my money to cripple the already over-capacity roads for a few months.

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_FL

Ok, so the roads are bad and it'll never change. Great.

I understand that it takes money to make them better, but they NEED to re-paint the lines on most roads. This black patch stuff doesn't count. At night I can barely tell if I'm in one lane or two. Most cities also have reflectors on the lines. But here it's a free-for-all.

If they can't fix the roads, where do the tax dollars go?

If you are from Florida, you live where the roads never freeze. They can use the reflectors because snowplows that would tear them out are never needed.

Freezing and thawing cycles tear up roads quickly because the thawed water seeps into the cracks, then when it freezes, the ice expands and tears up the road. We actually did increase sales taxes by 1% awhile back to improve road maintenance but it will take time to catch up.

[COflower]

I have to laugh at posts like this. Seriously. Wanna donate? go for it.

The roads I drive aren't that bad. Of course I have lived in CO all my life.

< shrug >