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 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
- Better roads, street lights and street cleaningResident wants infrastructure improvements, mainly roads, street lights and street cleaning days.2025–26Brighton
- Fix potholes in roadsResident asks for potholes to be repaired so drivers have fewer vehicle breakdowns.2025–26City-wide
- Street maintenance and repairsResident asks for maintenance and repair of streets for the safety of everyone.2025–26Unspecified
- Repair streets and reduce litterResident asks the City to repair damaged streets and clean up the trash on the streets, to reduce pollution in the community.2025–26East Boston
- Invest in street conditions for safer ridingResident asks for more investment in the condition of streets, to make driving safer, especially for people on bicycles.2025–26South Boston
- Improve street conditionsResident asks for better street conditions, saying it would benefit everyone, especially people in overlooked or lower-resource areas.2025–26East Boston
- Repave Savin Hill AveResident asks the city to pave Savin Hill Ave because the many potholes make it dangerous.2025–26Dorchester
- Fix potholes to prevent flat tiresResident asks the city to repair potholes because they put drivers at higher risk of flat tires.2025–26City-wide
- Even out community sidewalksResident asks for community sidewalks to be made even.2025–26City-wide
- Sidewalk repairs, ADA ramps, lighting and cleanupResident asks for repair of cracks and potholes, ADA curb ramps, LED street lighting, repainted crosswalks, more sorted trash bins, community cleanup support and professional rodent control.2025–26DowntownSubmitted 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
- 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
- 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.2025–26City-wideSubmitted 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.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair pavement and add park recreation for seniorsFix cracks and potholes in areas used by pedestrians and older adults, and add park recreation facilities so seniors have more places to be active.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Repair cracks and potholes near community sitesFix 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
- Repair cracks and potholes near community sitesFix 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
- 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
- Citywide fix for broken, uneven sidewalksThe resident asks for a citywide effort to make sidewalks smooth and even, noting that ADA ramps are of little use next to broken sidewalk.2025–26City-wide