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
- Maintain streets for pedestrian safetyResident asks for street repair and maintenance to keep pedestrians safe.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair Chinatown roadsResident asks the city to repair roads in Chinatown.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair damaged roads and sidewalks, add accessibility featuresResident asks for repairs in badly damaged areas such as Kneeland St, Blue Hill Ave and Harvard Ave: filling potholes, resurfacing, better drainage, fixing sidewalks and adding accessible ramps and tactile paving.2025–26City-wideSubmitted 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
- $2 million for Boston infrastructure investmentResident says Boston's infrastructure is deteriorating and suggests $2 million to boost it, without specifying which infrastructure.2025–26City-wide
- 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
- Fund road repair projects, especially in low-income areasResident asks for construction funding to fix poorly maintained roads that have contributed to accidents for drivers and cyclists, especially in low-income areas.2025–26City-wide
- Repair potholes, craters and sidewalksResident asks for repair of potholes, craters and damaged sidewalks so roads are smoother for drivers and pedestrians.2025–26City-wide
- Road repair and accessible, healthy drinking waterResident asks for road repairs and more accessible, healthy water so people can have water whenever they need it.2025–26City-wide
- 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
- Repair Roslindale streets and sidewalksResident asks for money to repair streets and sidewalks in Roslindale that are in poor shape and dangerous for cars, bikes and pedestrians.2025–26Roslindale
- Stop planting trees in middle of sidewalksResident asks the City to stop planting trees in the middle of sidewalks because they block equal access for elderly people and wheelchair users.2025–26City-wide
- 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