I’ve never seen the Spokesman-Review use an editorial from another newspaper, so I was surprised to see an article today from Vancouver’s Columbian newspaper in our newspaper. It’s right on though, about how investment in infrastructure is needed, and not just in Vancouver. You could almost substitue “Spokane” for “Vancouver” in some of the sentences and they would still be accurate.
For instance, the editorial says:
- The city is millions of dollars short on its goals for reconstructing streets. Sound familiar? Same story in our region.
- Two city-owned bridges are expected to fail within 20 years. Only two?
- There is an estimated $120 million backlog of deferred street maintenance. We’re still trying to figure out exactly what the pricetag is for our local backlog but we know it’s going to give everyone sticker shock.
- Vancouver is considering a license tab fee increase. Spokane City already did it here and now it’s being considered countywide.
And the similarities continue. Read the editorial here.
The lesson? This problem isn’t unique to any community. Nationwide, we’re all seeing the effects of fifty years of car culture and little maintenance to keep it safe and updated. It’s time to make some investments, folks.