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
23 ideas
2024–25: 0 · 2025–26: 16 · 2026–27: 7 (of 169 in this theme)
- 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
- Fix sidewalks and curb ramps near key destinationsThe resident asks to repair uneven sidewalks and improve curb ramps, prioritizing areas near senior centers, schools, bus stops and parks in underserved neighborhoods.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair cracked sidewalks and improve accessibilityThe resident asks to fix broken, cracked and uneven sidewalks and improve ramps and crossings, prioritizing key walking routes to transit and public facilities.2026–27ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Functional sidewalks on Marginal Road near Quincy SchoolsResident asks for functional sidewalks on both sides of Marginal Road next to the Josiah Quincy Schools to keep children safe walking to school.2026–27Chinatown
- Repair aging roads for pedestrian and cyclist safetyResident asks the city to repair aging roads in communities to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.2025–26Chinatown
- Repair Chinatown roadsResident asks the city to repair roads in Chinatown.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair streets that are hard to walkResident asks the city to repair streets to solve difficulty walking on them.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair Chinatown streets and add signageResident says Chinatown streets are uneven and lack signs, and asks for repairs and signage to keep elders and young children safe.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Fix roads and add parking and signs for seniorsResident says uneven roads, poor transportation and lack of parking make medical visits hard for seniors, and asks for road repair, more meters and better signage.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Maintain Chinatown streets, especially near Junzi BuildingResident asks for maintenance and cleaning of Chinatown streets, especially in front of the Junzi Building (君子楼), which elders and elementary school children use, to protect them.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair and clean street near Chinatown buildingResident asks for repair and cleaning of the street in front of the Junzi Building (君子楼) and more parking spaces to make dropping off and picking up elders and children easier.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair street in front of Chinatown buildingResident asks for the street in front of 君子楼 to be repaired and tidied, noting many Chinatown streets are hard for seniors and children to walk.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Resurface uneven Chinatown streetsResident asks for Chinatown streets to be repaired because they are very uneven, saying improvements would attract more Chinese residents and build community.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair uneven road in front of Chinatown buildingResident asks for the uneven road in front of 君子楼 to be repaired, since it is near senior housing, an elementary school and a sports center.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Fix sidewalk and clean street near Chinatown buildingResident asks for the street and sidewalk in front of 君子楼 to be repaired and for street cleanliness to be monitored, keeping the Chinese community tidy.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair uneven Chinatown roadsResident asks for uneven Chinatown roads to be fixed to improve safety for elderly residents and children, improve appearance and attract more visitors.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair cracks and potholes near community hubsResident asks for repair of ground cracks and potholes in areas used by pedestrians and older adults, such as community centers, medical facilities and schools, to improve safety.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese