May. 28, 2008 at 10:24am

Roads are Like Teeth

I'm not crazy yet, let me explain...

So while I was taking a shower this morning, the infamous source of countless ideas, I came up with an excellent analogy for public roads and how our current roads fit in. It goes something like this (try reading it thinking about teeth, and then about roads - it works both ways!):

Roads are Like Teeth

They are absolutely essential for a healthy quality of life, and it is much more expensive to replace them than to maintain them. They also require constant maintenance and cleaning, or they will decay and crumble. While primarily serving a functional purpose, they also play a major role in appearance and how outsiders make judgments.

Signs of neglect and disrepair are often an indication of apathy, poor economic conditions, or a lack of discipline - all of which will quickly turn away potentially interested parties. This is especially true when green can be seen poking out from between cracks. Deferring repairs and maintenance only worsens the problem and increases the ultimate expense, and often results in a more painful and lengthy repair process. Adjacent entities also tend to suffer, and the living tissue usually begins to recede away from the decay resulting in abandonment and further damage to the surrounding areas.

So . . . I'm brushing/flossing my teeth, are we as Tacoma?