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
- Repair roadsThe resident asks the City to repair roads, without giving specific locations or details.2026–27City-wide
- Fix potholes and make streets saferThe resident asks for funding to fix potholes and make streets safe for driving and biking, noting that poorer neighborhoods have under-resourced streets.2026–27City-wide
- Fix sidewalks and curb ramps near key destinationsThe resident asks to repair broken, uneven sidewalks and improve curb ramps, prioritizing areas near senior centers, schools, bus stops, parks and service organizations, so seniors and people with disabilities can move safely.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair broken sidewalks in front of storesResident asks for repair of broken, uneven sidewalks in front of shops so people, including seniors, disabled residents and families with strollers, can walk safely.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair damaged and potholed roadsThe resident asks for repair of broken, potholed and uneven roads to improve road quality and walking safety, especially in under-resourced areas.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair broken sidewalks near businesses and servicesThe resident asks for repair of broken, uneven or potholed sidewalks in front of shops, restaurants and community services to improve safety and accessibility for all residents.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Spend money on fixing streets and parksThe resident says funds should be used to repair streets and parks.2026–27City-wide
- Repair broken Chinatown sidewalks near shopsResident asks for repair of cracked, uneven sidewalks in front of Chinatown businesses to reduce fall risk and improve accessibility for elders, wheelchair users, families and shoppers.2026–27DowntownSubmitted in Chinese
- Schedule road repairs at low-disruption timesResident asks that road repair work be scheduled when it will not disturb residents and when commuter pressure is low.2026–27FenwaySubmitted in Chinese
- Schedule road repairs at low-disruption timesTranslated from Chinese: the resident asks that road repairs be scheduled at times that don't disturb residents and when commuter pressure is low.2026–27FenwaySubmitted in Chinese
- Improve roads in the cityResident asks for better roads across the city.2026–27City-wide
- 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
- Rebuild sidewalksResident asks for sidewalk reconstruction, prioritizing safety in community parks.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Fix South Boston streets and add parkingResident asks for South Boston street repairs and more parking spots, noting the area is largely low-income Black and brown residents.2026–27South End
- Better street maintenance and more youth educationThe resident asks for better maintenance of city streets and more education for young people, saying the proposal benefits everyone.2026–27City-wide
- Smoother sidewalks, public restrooms, shade and business incentivesResident asks for smoother, non-slip sidewalks, more public bathrooms, more shaded recreation areas and incentives for small businesses.2025–26City-wide
- Reopen Barnes Ave sidewalk to Orient Heights stationFund low-cost access improvements, such as reopening the Barnes Ave sidewalk that connects directly to Orient Heights station, to improve transit access for largely minority neighborhoods.2025–26East Boston
- Improve crowded North End sidewalksResident asks to improve sidewalks on Salem, Richmond and Prince Streets, where crowding pushes people into the street, and possibly close some streets to cars, for ADA access and safety.2025–26North End
- Accessible street crossings on major roadsResident asks for accessible crossings on major roads, since existing ones create tripping hazards and ice pools in winter, making crossing unsafe for disabled residents and pedestrians.2025–26Allston
- 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