On Tuesday afternoon, Democratic mayoral candidate Harry Rilling spoke about the need to restore Norwalk’s roadways and sidewalks.
Standing on broken sidewalks next to pictures of various examples of roads marked with potholes, Rilling called for a real plan to fix Norwalk’s infrastructure.
“Norwalk’s infrastructure is in disrepair. From the roads to the sidewalks to the bike lanes, Norwalk needs leadership to address this continual disservice to our taxpayers,” Rilling said in a release.
As mayor, Rilling said he would provide "a real plan with accountability to ensure that departmental efforts are coordinated and our dollars are spent efficiently."
Citing his experiences walking door to door in Norwalk, Rilling said residents reported their road repaving projects had been pushed back one, two, three, four, or even five times.
As mayor, Rilling said he would provide better leadership to make sure there is a plan to fix roads in a timely, predictable, and transparent way.
“Children, families, and senior citizens cannot count on reliable sidewalks to travel to school, neighbors, or local businesses. The City of Norwalk has neglected to maintain them," Rilling said in the release.
According to Rilling, city has the authority to work with private citizens to fix and maintain private sidewalks and, according to the candidate for Mayor, Norwalk needs better sidewalks to connect neighborhoods, increase business traffic, and keep citizens safe.
Rilling also said Norwalk needs a plan for the city’s bikers, pointing to Strawberry Hill Avenue as an example.
“The bike lanes at Strawberry Hill Avenue are confusing, poorly planned, and extremely dangerous. The lanes abruptly end and are placed too close to parking putting people at risk," said Rilling in the release.
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