By Arthur Moore

Once again I am on my second major surgery and have to travel these streets that look like something out a war picture that have been bombed. Every freaken bump is shear agony trying to get home.

Granted I have bought a larger vehicle each time I get one hoping to be able to drive there streets here with getting the feel of the road. Obviously, I didn’t go big enough. I need maybe a Suburban or a Hummer as regular large suv’s just do not cut it here. I guess I am lucky enough to make it home without blowing out all my staples once again. But the question is why has it gotten so bad here in the last 15 years or so? Is the money we have for streets no longer used for streets. Not just for me to get home without opening up but cars, biking and pedestrians to use these streets. If I ever get mobile again and can use my racing bikes once again I would never allow their tires to touch these streets. Growing up here we had such walkable streets here. Even the sidewalks could be used by people. Which brings me to the second problem. The sidewalk money. Where did that go? Once I can start walking where will I go. Once I go out my front door I am limited by the sidewalks in different directions as being useful by humans. Unknown to me my mom who loved to walk had tripped and fallen many times at the top of our street trying to go to the Star when we were lucky to have that store. Sometime she used the second way of getting there but at least could safely go out in the street and avoid the bad parts. So far it looks like I have to hop in my suv and head to Everett as it looks like the walking by the Costco looks good. So why after paying taxes here do I have to keep leaving the city for anything? I grew up here in a time when we had a truly remarkable walkable city. And it really was. Walking got you to whatever you could possibly need. Now we have to hop in our cars to get what we want. Heck even if it’s here in Somerville you can’t get to many things as you can’t park your car which you are dependent on. Will somebody please locate the money for repairing the streets and sidewalks and finally fix them?