As I mentioned in March’s column, this year’s freeze thaw cycle has presented a number of issues for our county roads. Unfortunately, this has resulted in additional damage to already-neglected roads throughout my legislative district. As promised, I have continued my push for these roads to be addressed by our county administration.

For the past few weeks, I have spent some time in Amherst meeting with residents and assessing damage to specific roads. So far, I have visited New Road and North French Road. Homeowners in these areas are understandably fed up with having to swerve for potholes and worrying about damage to their vehicles during their daily commute. This is unacceptable, and both of these roads are in desperate need of better maintenance from our county administration.

Our county executive claims he invests in roads, but the condition of them indicates otherwise. Each year, the Legislature approves money to fix our roads and infrastructure, but the county executive does not spend the full amount. If you spend time driving outside the first-ring suburbs, it’s obvious the damage has only become more extensive. If these roads are allowed to continue deteriorating, we are faced with a growing public safety concern.  My colleagues and I plan to hold the administration accountable to ensure the full dollar amount is spent this year.

In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone who has contacted my office so far to relay their concerns. Last year, our advocacy paid off and resulted in repairs to Shisler Road in the Town of Clarence. While this is a relief to many Clarence residents, there is still a lot of room for improvement throughout my legislative district. I can assure you I will be continuing to visit roads throughout the community and advocating for the necessary repairs. In the coming weeks, I will be focusing on Harris Hill Road in the Town of Clarence to speak with residents and relay complaints to the Department of Public Works. If you are an Amherst, Clarence, Akron, or Newstead resident, please feel free to reach out to me to report road issues. This will help us share information with the county’s Department of Public Works and strengthen our push to have these roads fixed. You can always contact the Department of Public Works pothole hotline at potholes@erie.gov or 716.858.7966. If you make a complaint, please be as specific as possible and include the nearest address.

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns about a county-related issue, contact my office at Edward.Rath@erie.gov or by phone at (716) 858-8676.