The Public Opinion Soapbox

Cablegirl · Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 6

Driving home from Hanover this evening, I again realized just how terrible the street conditions are in our town. Perhaps this is part of helping local area garages to gain new business by replacing tires and doing front end alignments.

We have all just become acclimated to them, unfortunately. I have even become adept at knowing which side of the 2-lane parts of Rt. 30 are the worst and thereby avoiding them, as long as traffic allows.

I understand that repairs to the sewer/water pipes need to be made, but it seems that the streets rarely get repaved....or worse, get repaved and then shortly thereafter, get dug up again.

Anyone out there understand this? If so, please explain why our streets in Chambersburg are so so so terrible.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

The worst stretch, by far, has to be the few blocks of McKinley street that lies between 4th Street (just after CASHS) and Route 11. I hate that road.

Cablegirl, it's all about the money. Now, I can't say much for the state routes other than PennDOT has bigger fish to fry (or asphalt to pave) than podunk downtown Chambersburg.

As for the borough; well, I'm sure their transportation maintenance fund is in the bottom percentile compared to actual road coverage. Sort of a common thing here in Franklin county where everything is underfunded. But, as for that, I think people should be allowed one complaint... taxes or funding. Taxes seem to be the preferred table "whine" around here and, well, when it comes to that you're just going to have to accept mediocrity when it comes to publicly funded services and institutions.

When you blow your treasury on repairing a damaged water pipe (common occurrence in the borough it seems), you think there's much dough left over for a fancy resurfacing?

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

Which brings us to another question...

What the heck is wrong with all the doggone pipe?
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bella · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 9

It is also pretty bad on the stretch of Liberty St between 4th & 2nd. It drives me crazy.

me · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 119

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: shippensburg

yeah they are old....aren't the 'fixing' them (if i recall)

i used to know i was in pa during my hagerstown commutes as the second you left maryland the roads were like: padum padum padum bump bump padum padum bump bump (sound effects....they just don't translate well to text)

now it's fixed. much better. nice smooth ride now every day Smile

but yeah, downtown's the suxorz...

John Chambersburg · Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 55 Location: Chambersburg

yeah, this is a major major. I have been talking about this for a few years now and everyone blows me off. i am glad a few people still notice and voice their opinons. coming up main street from industrial park turning onto the little stretch when the one way ends over to 2nd street, you nearly have to stop while making the turn or your gonna bust a tire or the engine. some of the streets mentioned above and lots others are atroucious, deplorable, dispicable, and all those other words. i would think it imperative, almost #1 to have good roads in a tiny town like chambersburg. I am very proud of the nice downtown, but the roads are are a very very BIG and important part of the downtown. where has all the planning gone??

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

The downtown sucks... I think we've had this argument before John.

Now, I'll most-certainly concede that downtown has improved over the past few years, but it's a far cry from the illustrious, charming, small-town, downtown we all would like to see. One reason is that it's scary; low-income housing and a lot of run-down real-estate. Also, no draw, especially after 5 pm. There's some cool little stores downtown, but it would be nice if there were some decent, casual restaurants in town to grab dinner and a drink.

Last I heard, Bistro 71 received the borough's permission to seek an economic development liquor license downtown, but i haven't heard a thing about the progress they've made with the PLCB... not to stray too off topic (we should continue griping about the roads after all) but has anyone heard?

I think that would be an important step toward moving downtown chambersburg into something that actually appeals to people under 65, and after 5 pm.

paul_milander · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Posts: 591 Location: Shippensburg, PA

John Chambersburg · Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 55 Location: Chambersburg

Coppy...This thread is about“The Streets of Chambersburg” to which I addressed how deplorable the roads are. If you want to start a thread on how dangerous the downtown is…then start one. I still think tiny downtown Chambersburg is a nice downtown…esp in the block of the Candy Kitchen and around the square and up to Library and the little park by the creek. Also, how many little downtowns around this area (Waynesboro, Greencastle, St. Thomas, Fayetteville etc.) can you find “a casual restaurant to grab dinner and a drink”, after 5pm.That’s big city stuff, at least that’s what I found when I lived in DC and Manhattan. Again, the thread started off about the roads of Chambersburg.

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: shippensburg

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

I agree it was a bit of a thread hijack on my part; the streets discussion is certainly warranted. I just see potential downtown (like most younger residents here) that isn't being realized for many factors. Having stuff open after 5 pm is certainly NOT "big city stuff." And with 20,000 (and over 140,000 in the general area), Chambersburg is hardly a tiny town anymore.

But we can pick that up somewhere else.... for now, the streets are in bad shape and desperately need work. I still think it's mainly a funding issue though.

Me!!!!!!!! · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 306

Why why why can't they put street closed before you get to the road or construction site!!! They are so famous for this and I hate when I hit an intersection and see street closed when I am in the wrong lane and have to sit and wait for the other lane to empty before I can find a detour to where I am going!!!!
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cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: shippensburg

oh, post script on this....know what i love?

that there is SO MUCH road work going on (um, 81, 11, etc etc)....wouldn't some more focus be better to actually finish a project?

as for coppy, how i interpreted his hijack was that a and b seem to go together....a being roads, b being new businesses....i mean...who'd want to drive thru our bumpy streets to eat/shop....

maybe the funding is going to the school district's ymca 4mil (i kid i kid...just being a stinker)

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

And a post-post script to that...

What ever happened to night construction? How is this not the most efficient, and dare I say logical solution to road work?

There's less traffic and it's safer for both motorists and workers, it's also considerably cooler for the workers during the summer months, you're not clogging up the roads during rush hour or when people actually need to go somewhere, and most road sections can be re-opened during the day.

Whether it's PennDOT or the borough, road work should be done AT NIGHT.