City's worst streets
Victoria prepares to tackle worst thoroughfares
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You might have trouble convincing Trey Heyer that Red River Street in front of his business is one of the worst roadways in Victoria.
"The only problem we really have is the flooding," said Heyer, general manager of Crossroads Liquor at 1501 E. Red River. "Other than that it's OK."
But Red River between Depot Street and Sam Houston Drive is rated by the city as the third worst street section in the city, not including roads under construction.
Other thoroughfares with the dubious honor of being among the worst in Victoria are most of Sam Houston Drive and the north part of Laurent Street.
The city is already making plans to tackle Sam Houston and Laurent, spending $38 million to rebuild them throughout the next few years. Public Works Director Lynn Short said there are no immediate plans to rebuild Red River between Sam Houston and Navarro Street.
Mayor Will Armstrong said that could change this spring when the city council reviews a multimillion-dollar list of projects to decide which should be funded.
"Red River has a really high priority in my mind," he said. "I'm hoping that we can put it on the list."
Red River has a university and college on one end and a call center on the other end, reinforcing the need to repair the street, Armstrong said.
Short said the project to rebuild Red River between Main and Vine streets leading into Riverside Park is already being designed. The $1.8 million project is scheduled to get under way in 2009.
Laurent between Rio Grande Street and Airline Road is already being rebuilt. When that $9.89 million project is complete, work could begin on the second phase between Airline and Sam Houston.
That's tentatively scheduled to begin in 2010 and will take about 18 months to finish, at a cost of $15.5 million.
"That has been in the planning process for many years now," Short said. "The decision was based on street condition, traffic volume, citizens' requests and because it ties into the first phase of Laurent."
The city plans to rebuild Sam Houston at least from Laurent to Miori Lane, paving it in concrete and installing new curbs, gutters and sidewalks. That could cost $22.5 million and is tentatively set to begin in 2011.
Contractors will also be asked to bid on rebuilding the section between Miori and Airline as an alternate. It could take another $3.4 million to rebuild that portion.
20 Worst Street Sections
These streets received the worst ranking by the city during its 2008 survey. The list does not include streets under construction when the survey was conducted last summer.
Santa Rosa Street between Depot Street and Cameron ...
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20 Worst Street Sections
These streets received the worst ranking by the city during its 2008 survey. The list does not include streets under construction when the survey was conducted last summer.
Santa Rosa Street between Depot Street and Cameron Street.
Laurent Street between Sam Houston Drive and Airline Road.
Red River Street between Sam Houston Drive and Depot Street.
Trinity Street between Navarro Street and Laurent Street.
Red River Street between Bridge Street and Vine Street.
Sam Houston Drive between Miori Lane and Monterrey Drive.
Levi Street between Red River Street and Rio Grande Street.
Black Street between Nova Avenue and the dead end.
Anaqua Avenue between Navarro Street and the dead end.
Sabine Street between Navarro Street and Laurent Street.
Depot Street between Red River Street and Brazos Street.
Crestwood Drive between Main Street and Laurent Street.
Louis Street between Red River Street and Rio Grande Street.
Pleasant Green Drive between Port Lavaca Drive and Laurent Street.
William Street between Second Street and the dead end.
Juan Linn Street between Laurent Street and Port Lavaca Drive.
Brazos Street between Navarro Street and Laurent Street.
Delmar Drive between Lone Tree Road and the Houston Highway.
Goldman Street between Red River Street and Rio Grande Street.
Santa Rosa Street between Cameron Street and the dead end.
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I almost forgot about this comment:
"2. The recommendations are just that - suggestions.
Ultimately the 'drunken sailors' get to pick and choose where to spend the tax dollars, and those decisions are strongly influenced by politics and the reigning 'gool ol boy' system in Victoria. For example, the mayor is pushing Red River because of the college and call center..."
YOU THINK? Of course that portion of street needs to be fixed. THE COLLEGE AND CALL CENTER ARE IMPORTANT POINTS OF INTREST FOR OUR CITY. THEY EMPLOY LOTS OF OUR RESIDENTS. TYPICALLY A COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ARE MAJOR PLAYERS IN A COMMUNITY. Think about your comments dude! C'mon
January 5, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.Mytwocents I'm sorry but I must dispute your first post.
January 5, 2009 at 2:55 p.m.Actually horrible recommendations were made (or better yet.....not made). Actually recommendations on many streets that should have been fixed for years were knowingly and consciencly neglected. It's the "old regime" that got us into this mess.
The city of Victoria sits and lets things fester. They always have, and we are now paying the price. The city has always done business on the cheap. They lack in paying their employees city wide, no department excluded. They refuse to speak truthfully about the real problems. The leadership refuses to make hard decisions that willmake the wrong people upset. It is as about as backwards as city government gets.
I'm not here to bash Mr. Johnston but he was certainly just as much the problem as the rest of those in leadership roles at the city. The city needs to quickly find solutions and spend some money. Sidewalks downtown should not be the focus, and shouldn't even be considered until they get the train back on the right track.
I lived in Victoria for the first 26 years of my life and thinking about the section of Laurent Street that is in bad shape I was remembering having to borrow the Housing Authority truck to go home for lunch one day as the water between Crestwood Apartments, where I was employed, and Laurent was so high I was afraid my car couldn't handle it. I'm 72 now so that has been nearly 50 years. I live in Boulder City, Nevada now and the problems with your city government echo problems we have here. Hard to put up with the incumbents and hard to get new ones who aren't "good old boys" elected. Bonnie Cunningham Moss Fisher
January 3, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.Both of these previous posts made very strong points and I agree with them. We need some system other then the city council deciding which streets should be repaired. Every decision they make seems to be driven by politics and not common sense or even statistical data. I would bet money today that the downtown sidewalk project is funded while many of the "worst streets" go un-repaired again. I know the post regarding the continual awarding of contracts to companies that do less then great work will never be addressed as it is definately a "good ole boy" issue. One local contractor, who will not be named, comes to mind.
The condition of some of the streets in Victoria is deplorable but I bet we end up with sidewalks downtown while citizens of Victoria continue to drive on substandard streets.
January 3, 2009 at 1:11 p.m.Absolute 100% agreement 2 cents.
Another problem is who does the rebuilding. When you continually give contracts to the companies that do poor quality work and within a few years the new street needs more repair, or in some cases the street is almost undrivable immediately upon completion someone needs to take a long hard look at the contractor. Another "good ole boy" thing.
Also what about completion time? Laurent is a joke....how many days do you drive by and there is no one working anywhere? Not bad weather days, but days when the weather is good and full crews should be out. How many of the smaller businesses on Laurent have almost been put out of business because the street has been torn up for months on end?
I am always amazed when smaller towns...Karnes City is one that comes to mind, have beautiful, well made, smooth and wide streets and Victoria can't manage anything even close.
January 3, 2009 at 10:34 a.m.