As our city continues to expand, a significant portion of our city’s essential infrastructure, including water, gas, and electricity integrated within our transportation right-of-ways have crumbled through neglect. Their deterioration under the multi-inefficiencies of urban sprawl is evident. Nearly half of our city’s streets are in such disrepair that many require complete reconstruction rather than mere maintenance.
But this degraded state also provides an opportunity we can use to advantage, if we have the will. The advent of electric one to four wheeled modes of transport have exposed the need for a much more integrated and previously unanticipated opportunity to scale up. Public attention has been diverted by the media, social, and political discourse — which often focuses on de-settling or re-settling of destitute citizens from one location to the next. Such amusements are more fitting for the sports section of our news outlets. Such diversions overshadow the failure of our public servants – whether they are employees, elected officials, charitable organizations or volunteers – to preserve and enhance the true public goods in our community.
Our crumbling infrastructure begs the question: what are the goals and priorities of our master plan? Are these targets realistically achievable? Or are we going to keep diddling ourselves by chasing our own tails? It is crucial that coordinated strategies and their feasibility are clearly communicated to the public if we are to have any chance of responsibly addressing the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. That is the real job at hand.
— Richard Roth, Chico
