News

Actions

Lake Worth wants to fix aging roads

Posted at 9:53 PM, Jul 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-20 09:19:25-04

One Palm Beach County city is taking action tonight to fix its roads. City commissioners approved a $40 million bond to do so at Tuesday's commission meeting.

Lake Worth will now put the measure on the November ballot and let voters have the final say.

Cracked sidewalks are along some streets in Lake Worth and there are potholes, some the size of small craters. J and K streets are on another level.

“They're the worst roads I've ever seen,” said Nick Vranish, who lives on K Street. “And i used to live on the south side of Chicago.”

Vransih, added, “I can't walk down the sidewalk because the cracks are so bad,” he said. “It's dangerous.”
 
Ashley Roehrig says when she drives down Lake Worth’s roads, the ride can be treacherous. 
 
“It's scary sometimes,” said Roehrig. “I thought my tires were gonna pop, especially at night time when it's pitch black out here.”
 
Andy Amoroso is a city commissioner, who’s in favor of a $40 million bond issue to fix the roads and sidewalks. 
 
"Unfortunately, we have allowed our streets to be neglected,” said Amoroso. “And this is our last attempt to really get out there and fix those infrastructure problems.”
 
Repairs do not come cheap. Homeowners will have to pay about $100 more in property taxes.

"We need to actually tear up most of the roads and actually go in and repair them," explained Amoroso.

Roehrig says that’s too much. “People already pay high taxes to live here,” she said. “Utilities are really high.”
 
On K street, desperation is setting in for some. “Something needs to be done,” said Vranish. “This is atrocious.”

"We need to invest in our city, we need to invest in our people," said Amoroso.

About 2.5 years ago the city voted on a bond issue to fix infrastructure but it didn’t pass.