Here’s the walkway across the track at Main Street, the way it looked with its temporary fix on Jan. 23, 2025.
Sometimes it’s as though readers’ comments on stories on this site are heavy on complaints. So it seemed, anyway, to Albany resident Jennifer Stuart.
She lives near the Willamette riverfront, and the email she sent me last week began:
“Your blog receives many complaints about the City of Albany. I wanted to let you know about my recent very good experience with the city.”
What happened was that she had noticed a problem where a walkway to and from the Edgewater Village development and the riverbank crosses the Portland & Western Railroad’s track at Main Street.
Her email continued:
“On January 9, I filled out a report on the city website (albanyoregon.gov, scroll to section titles ‘Report an issue’ at bottom of page, and select ‘Street hazards’). My street hazard was a tripping hazard at Main Street and Water where there was uneven settling in the railway walkway causing a couple of drops in elevation. One I measured to be 2.5 inches! Anyway, I submitted the report and THE VERY NEXT DAY IT WAS ADDRESSED! I received a phone call at midday January 10 telling me that the city had notified the railroad, and that the city had made a temporary repair in the meantime.”
She added this:
“The website was very easy to use, and it seems to me that some of your readers might not know how to report an issue like this to the city. I was sure surprised both by how easy it was and of how quickly the issue was taken care of.”
Is that one of the 12 crossings the city got for $3 million?
No.
Cue Shadle, Brock, et al in 3, 2, 1…
The day before, I actually reported glass “granules” in the bike lane on Burkhart heading North to Pacific. You couldn’t use the bike sensor, even if they did work, without risking tire damage. I go by today and they swept up the “granules”, but left larger shards including what appeared to be part of a bottle neck. Apparently some employee would do no more then exactly what they were told? Sweep up glass granules. I hope this is not the “new norm”! A chance to actually impress was botched.
How nice to read a “positive statement” and not at the vitriol that many seem to find necessary.
I’m reminded of a quote from a self-help guru:
“If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way.”
Well I’m reminded by the sayin do no harm.
Laughing my ass off MAGAts