How many of us can relate to this scenario: You’re driving along in a car, destination in mind, music playing and feeling good when you hear it: the all-too-familiar “thwunk” of your undercarriage as it grinds the concrete? And what feels better than having to check your rearview mirrors to determine if a portion of your car is now decorating the street behind you? Nothing can kill your mood like a good fender-bender, but the feeling is only worsened when the only other party involved is the road beneath your tires.
Sadly, within Commerce, the roads are treacherous enough to snag undercarriages on a daily basis. Potholes are a regular sight, some so massive that they seem to wait to swallow passing cyclists whole. A few are virtually invisible, noticeable only after you’ve ground the front end of your vehicle into the concrete. Even worse, when inclement weather hits, these craters turn into small reservoirs of dirty water just waiting to be sprayed onto a passing pedestrian.
However, the roads aren’t the only area in need of improvement. Even the Commerce sidewalks are coated in cracks, fissures, and fractures ready to inflict doom on those attempting to walk. I, though admittedly a bit of a klutz, have tripped countless times and had to face the task of collecting my belongings, as well as my pride, off the ground. And there have been even more occasions on which I’ve helped someone else pick up their things after taking a tumble on a “Commerce Crack”. The problem is obvious, so the real question here is, “Why aren’t the roads being fixed?”
For some reason, it appears the city has neglected the maintenance of their roads and sidewalks, allowing them to decline to the current condition they’re in. Although I understand that the repair and maintenance of the roads in Commerce would require significant funding and effort on the city’s part, there are several reasons why it would be a worthwhile task.
First, the flaws in the roads can cause serious damage to cars, irritating the taxpaying citizens of Commerce as their vehicles end up in need of maintenance.
Second, these dents and dips in the roads pose a hazard not only to drivers, but cyclists and walkers as well. On multiple occasions I’ve witnessed a car swerving towards the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid a pothole, while inadvertently posing a danger to pedestrians. However, the danger doesn’t lie in the streets alone, but also in the sidewalks. Cyclists, upon hitting a snag in the concrete, can fall off their bicycles, potentially injuring themselves and those around them. And if a cyclist were to fall while riding in the street, the danger would be doubled as traffic was added to the equation. It’s hard to believe how such a seemingly insignificant flaw could pose such a hazard.
Finally, the imperfections in the streets detract from the overall appearance of Commerce itself, making the city appear to be much more unkempt than it actually is. The shabby look of our streets could have a negative influence on prospective residents or students when considering both Commerce and the university. I’m just going to go out on a limb by saying that I doubt either the city or the university wants that.
So hopefully, someone out there will pick up on the fact that the condition of our streets is less than satisfactory (most likely after picking themselves up off the ground) and make a change. But until then, tread lightly.