If we build it, we must maintain it

I walk downtown regularly, so I notice when the infrastructure there needs attention. A few months ago, I emailed the city to say the lights on the north end of the Walnut Street Bridge and on the boardwalk along the waterfront had been out for ages. Two days later, the lights were on.

Perhaps the bridge problem goes beyond resetting a tripped circuit or replacing light bulbs — as I write, the north end of the bridge is dark again — but that quick fix made me wonder whether we can’t simply repair the lights we have. They look nice when they’re working.

If the system must be replaced, let’s not invest in infrastructure we can’t or won’t maintain. As it is, the First Street elevator is an ugly exoskeleton. The Passage, which we built and then rebuilt, is dry, as are the water cannons at Ross’s Landing and the sidewalk fountains in front of the aquarium. Red stamped-concrete crosswalks are routinely “repaired” with globs of black asphalt (check out Tremont and Frazier).

Bottom line: If we’re not going to keep it up, we shouldn’t do it in the first place. We could put that money to better use. Allison Gorman