A new report from Syracuse’s City Auditor suggests the city could be more transparent about its road reconstruction plans. Alexander Marion’s report called "Roadwork Ahead" doesn’t reveal any glaring issues with the way the city maintains its roads. He even acknowledges the Walsh administration’s ambitious paving efforts. But Marion says the city could use a better coordinated, data-driven approach.
“Lots of roads getting paved. That's a good thing," Marion said. "But we should have more clarity in how those decisions are being made. We should have more clarity in the process and if we have more thoughtful long-term planning, we'll be able to find I think we'll be able to find enough efficiencies. We may be able to get more roads paved.”
Marion says the city relies on data compiled by the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council to prioritize which roads get re-paved. But he says nearly half of the roads in the city’s $8 million 2024 plan deviate from the SMTC’s recommendations. Marion says residents are owed an explanation.
“If they're going to deviate from the SMTC plan and come up with their own additions and addendums to it, I think it's important that we have a good understanding of why they're doing it and how we arrived at those conclusions,” Marion said.
The SMTC data includes road conditions, infrastructure work, access, and equity. Marion says coordinating utility work underneath a road and holding contractors responsible for road cuts will go a long way toward preventing deterioration.
“Doing it to a very high standard ensures that we're going to be able to keep our roads in a good condition for longer, extend the life of them so we don't have to come back and pave this street again just because one company came in and had to dig something out," Marion said. "We don't want to have to have a patchwork quilt of roads.”
In response, Marion says the Walsh administration is drafting a new ordinance to hold contractors more responsible for road cuts. His report also found inconsistencies in how property owners are billed, and recommended changes to yard waste collection, which damages city streets.
