By Councilor Fred Capone
Transparency is not just about city finances, it is also about providing our residents with real-time information. One common experience we have probably shared, and often raised on the campaign trail, is the numerous unexpected detours due to roadwork. It seems you can’t travel across Everett without some type of delay due to roadwork, detours, or street closures. Although infrastructure maintenance is essential, and the New England climate shortens our construction season, people still need to get to where they are traveling in a timely manner.
Whether getting children to school, heading to work, going to medical appointments or attending to other daily obligations, time matters. When roads are blocked off for construction, without advance notice to the public, chaos occurs. Traffic in the work area delays commutes, increases public safety concerns, and wastes everyone’s valuable time. All this can be avoided in large part by simply alerting our residents in advance.
There are multiple ways we can alert the public to roadwork in a cost-effective manner. Anticipated work schedules can be posted on the city’s website, Facebook page, at city hall, displayed on ECTV or broadcasted via reverse 911 calls. Our city sends recorded calls to our residents for far less important matters. Perhaps an app can be implemented to list current public construction locations within the city. With advance notice, residents can effectively adjust their commute, public safety interests can be better served, driver frustration reduced and there will be one less drain to waste our precious time.
I would also like to look into providing updated information to residents during the winter to help track when plows will be reaching a particular street.
These are just a few changes I would like to implement if elected mayor. For other areas of concern or ideas, please visit my webpage at www.fredcaponeforeverett.com.
Councilor Fred Capone, is a candidate for Mayor.