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
15 ideas
2024–25: 9 · 2025–26: 5 · 2026–27: 1 (of 169 in this theme)
- Repave the streetsRepave city streets for safety.2026–27Brighton
- Repave and fix crossing timing at intersectionResident asks for a longer crosswalk timer, repaving and reset tracks at a bumpy intersection so people of all ages and abilities can cross safely.2025–26Brighton
- Fix sidewalks, potholes and speeding on Brighton streetResident reports inaccessible sidewalks, potholes and fast drivers on a narrow street used by school kids and families, and asks for repairs and safety improvements.2025–26Brighton
- Better roads, street lights and street cleaningResident wants infrastructure improvements, mainly roads, street lights and street cleaning days.2025–26Brighton
- Interest-free loans to fix driveway cutsThe resident asks for interest-free loans and encouragement for homeowners to fix uneven driveway cuts that interrupt sidewalks in Brighton, such as on Monastery Rd and Colborne Rd.2025–26Brighton
- Fix potholes on Euston StreetRepair the potholes on Euston Street.2025–26Brighton
- Level sidewalks at driveway curb cutsResident asks to remove driveway curb cuts that interrupt sidewalks and level them to remove steps, for accessibility.2024–25Brighton
- Fix potholes or mark street as privateResident asks the city to either repair potholes on a street or post a sign saying it is private and for residents only.2024–25Brighton
- Repair Eastburn Footway stairsResident asks to fix the deteriorating Eastburn Footway stairs, which would improve access to the Winship school.2024–25Brighton
- Build a sidewalk on Kinross RoadResident asks for a sidewalk on Kinross Road between Lanark and Comm Ave, where none exists.2024–25Brighton
- Review and renew Commonwealth Avenue roadwayResident asks for $2 million to review past plans, assess conditions and involve residents in renewing Comm Ave from Packard's Corner to the Newton line, inspired by Olmsted's inclusive vision.2024–25Brighton
- Re-engineer and resurface Mt Vernon StreetResident asks to resurface the steep, narrow, pothole-filled Mt Vernon St and rebuild the sidewalk as one full-width sidewalk on a single side, since it currently disappears halfway.2024–25Brighton
- Repair eroded Chestnut Hill Reservoir pathwaysResident asks for repairs to reservoir pathways where erosion has created tripping hazards, to make the surface more accessible.2024–25Brighton
- Curb extension at Kenrick and Lake StreetsResident asks for a curb extension at Kenrick St and Lake St to improve the walking loop around Gallagher Park, where the sidewalk is narrow and the turn is sharp.2024–25Brighton
- Cut back overgrowth blocking Foster Street sidewalkResident asks that shrubs and vegetation along a wall near 131 Foster Street be trimmed, since they block the sidewalk and hinder pedestrians heading to school, park and businesses.2024–25Brighton