Street & sidewalk repair
Fixing and maintaining roads, sidewalks and curb ramps so they are smooth and accessible.
Residents consistently ask the City to fill potholes, repair and level broken sidewalks, and add accessible curb ramps, with a focus on safety for seniors and people with disabilities.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
169 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 55 | 4.5% | 12 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 59 | 4.9% | 8 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 55 | 4.2% | 12 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Fill potholes and repave rough streets
Residents across all three cycles ask for potholes to be filled and damaged streets repaved, citing vehicle damage, crashes and risks to cyclists and pedestrians.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Repair uneven and broken sidewalks
Cracked, uneven, root-lifted and brick sidewalks are described as trip and fall hazards, especially for older adults, wheelchair users and families with strollers.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Accessible curb ramps and crossings
Residents ask for repaired and added curb ramps and accessible crossings, noting that ramps are of little use next to broken sidewalk.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Tree roots and tree pits that damage sidewalks
Residents ask for fixes where roots lift sidewalks or trees narrow the walking space, including permeable paving and no trees planted mid-sidewalk.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Priority for seniors, schools and underserved areas
Residents ask that repairs go first to places used by older adults and children, such as senior housing, schools and Chinatown, and to neighborhoods that feel overlooked.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas centered on sidewalk repair and accessibility, with calls for citywide sidewalk audits and master plans, help converting private ways to public streets, and pothole fixes.
2025–26
Many near-identical ideas from Chinatown asked for repairs to cracks, potholes and uneven streets near senior housing and schools, alongside broad pothole and street repair requests.
2026–27
Sidewalk repair in front of Chinatown shops and near key destinations was prominent, along with many short citywide requests to fix roads and potholes, plus new asks on snow clearing and repair scheduling.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include city-run sidewalk snow clearing, scheduling road work at low-disruption times, permeable paving over tree roots, and prioritizing repairs near senior centers, bus stops and business frontages.
Funding so far
No winning project in this theme was funded by resident vote, so recurring asks for pothole repair, sidewalk repair, curb ramps and fixes to tree-root damage have not yet been addressed.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Public Works
- Boston Transportation Department
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Street & sidewalk repair
169 ideas
2024–25: 55 · 2025–26: 59 · 2026–27: 55
- Finish patching roads and bike lanesComplete patching of roads and bike lanes so people can get around without damaging tires or injuring ankles.2026–27City-wide
- Fill potholes and repave streets citywideThe resident asks for funds to fill potholes and repave streets, noting the worst streets are in Dorchester and Mattapan and that potholes damage cars and worsen traffic.2026–27City-wide
- Build more sidewalksConstruct more sidewalks.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Fix cracked and pothole-filled streets and sidewalksRepair roads and sidewalks full of holes and cracks, which are dangerous to drive on.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Fix potholes across BostonRepair potholes, which make driving harder and endanger pedestrians, wheelchair and walker users, and cyclists.2026–27City-wide
- Widen narrow North End sidewalksWiden sidewalks on several North End streets, continuously or with passing spaces, to meet ADA guidelines because people with mobility challenges are being injured.2026–27North End
- Repave the streetsRepave city streets for safety.2026–27Brighton
- Make sidewalks more evenLevel uneven sidewalks so people do not trip and fall.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- University student-designed street improvement projectsPartner with local universities so their students can design small-scale street improvement projects for the city.2026–27City-wide
- Chinatown sidewalk repaving and cleaner streetsResident asks to repair and repave sidewalks in front of Chinatown storefronts and add trash bins, more frequent cleaning, anti-litter signs and monitoring for safer, cleaner, accessible public spaces.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Permeable pavement over tree roots on sidewalksResident asks for permeable pavement above tree roots to protect existing trees and give pedestrians a trip-free sidewalk.2026–27Allston
- Overhaul Chinatown sidewalks and streets, boost cleaningResident asks for full renovation of old, damaged Chinatown sidewalks and streets plus better daily cleaning and trash pickup, so the community gets equal public resources.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Chinatown sidewalks, greenery and trash cansResident asks to fix broken sidewalks, add greenery and trash cans, and improve cleaning in Chinatown for safe, comfortable walking and fairer public investment.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Chinatown sidewalk repair, greenery and trash cansResident asks to repair broken sidewalks, add greenery and trash cans, and improve street cleaning in Chinatown for a safe, clean walking environment.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Fix uneven sidewalks in front of Chinatown shopsResident asks to repair bumpy, broken sidewalks in front of Chinatown storefronts to reduce fall risk for seniors and pedestrians, many of whom rely on walking.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair damaged community roadsResident asks to fix broken and uneven road surfaces and improve public space upkeep so daily travel is safer and more comfortable for all ages and abilities.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Comprehensive Chinatown road and sidewalk repairResident asks for comprehensive repair of damaged, uneven and old roads and sidewalks in Chinatown so residents receive the same quality of public facilities as other areas.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair broken Chinatown sidewalksResident asks to repair damaged, uneven sidewalks in Chinatown to improve walking safety and reduce fall risk for seniors, pedestrians and people with mobility limits.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Clear or widen blocked bridge sidewalkResident asks to relocate lighting and drawbridge equipment blocking the bridge sidewalk or widen it, since it is hostile to wheelchair users, strollers, and cyclists on a key Dorchester-UMass route.2026–27Dorchester
- City-run sidewalk snow removal with bobcatsResident asks the city to use bobcats to clear snow from sidewalks for all residents, since not all landlords can remove or hire out snow removal.2026–27City-wide