Curious About $$ Used To Fix Scituate Sidewalks

WBZ

Is it a sidewalk to nowhere? That's what some residents of Ford Street in Scituate want to know.

The town is spending about $1.7 million in street improvements in the neighborhood, including a brick and granite sidewalk that some say is a tremendous waste of money.

One resident, who didn't want to be identified said, "The old sidewalk was fine. Besides, only a few of us even use it. To tear up the old one, and spend money on a new sidewalk is ridiculous," he said.

Anne sent this e-mail about the Scituate project to our Web site: "A construction crew has ripped up a new sidewalk and is installing a brick sidewalk. It is a colossal waste of money at a time when the T should be cutting costs, not spending."

But Scituate officials say the money is part of a mitigation package negotiated with the MBTA seven years ago, when the T brought the Greenbush train line through the town.

Scituate's DPW Director, Al Bangert says, "They offered money for land taking, recreational development, and neighborhood street improvements. And that's what we're doing on Ford Street -- putting in handicapped-accessible sidewalks, with street lights. So people can get to the Greenbush Post Office, and the train."

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