Friday, May 31, 2019

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, BUILD, BUILD AGAIN



Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Less than a month after it was pointed out that the city had opted to go on the cheap with a plastic curb instead of the standard concrete that protected pedestrians on the sidewalk, someone in the city apparently has had second thoughts.

In the first week of May city Traffic Dept. workers had installed ts fake plastic curb on the driveway that once led to the Greyhound building on the St. Charles Street entrance side.

Like any typical driveway, curbs are not needed in driveways, but after placing the parking meters there, a concrete curb was necessary to protect pedestrians. It shouldn't, as they say, take a degree in engineering to figure that out.

Well, apparently someone at close to Engineering/Traffic Director, Carlos Lastra had second thoughts about installing a section of 2- inch high, yellow speed bumps. Any vehicle trying to park there could have easily driven on top of the plastic strip, and wind up hurting someone.

That would not easily happen with a conventional roadside curb.

Some residents had said that the city decided for a quick shortcut without considering the safety of pedestrians and the exposure of the city to legal liability.

Their complaints apparently reached the right ear because this morning city workers were there placing the framework for pouring concrete and doing things the right way.

There are over 900 on-street parking meters, and all have standard size  concrete curbs. The city, ideally, should have had the bus driveway removed and replaced by a standard sidewalk and curb from the get-go.

If you're going to do something, do it right the first time, no?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe they just had a plan to do it in two steps! You're asshole.

Anonymous said...

te aventaste Juan

when have the other blogs influenced

public works?

Anonymous said...

How much did it cost the city by the mistake the 3 engineers made? We need to know. Is that coming out of their checks? Anybody reprimended? No lay-offs. If a public worker borrows a $1.99 shovel he gets fired. Are this bozos going to be fired?
This was a MAJOR mistake and people were put in danger. So what are the consequences? Oh I forgot he's highly educated.

Anonymous said...

They thought they were in Matamoros. Doing it “A la mejicana”. Bueyes!

Anonymous said...

Plain simple incompetance from the mayor down.

Anonymous said...

The heat from El rrunrrun got them to do the job the right way! I'm glad no one got hurt and Carlos Lastra should be fired or relieved from having the traffic department under him. Then you have his assistant Doro Garcia involved in dirty politics posting in Facebook. This department (Engineering) should be investigated.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Montoya, thanks for keeping us safe from inept city's directors like Carlos Lastra. Why does he have two assistants? That's unheard of and you need to investigate that. Hopefully, the new administration does something about this. The city can save lots of money eliminating that extra position.

Anonymous said...

Eliminate the engineering dept contract as needed. Save millions for the bike trails.

hello pete said...

puros ojetes, just keeping the city employees busy with the same project over and over and over

Anonymous said...

You also have the ex HR director working in the traffic department, this guy has a bigger salary than his boss, the city Engineer. Makes you wonder what is really going in this department. Do they need two assistant engineer directors for such a small department? This should be Investigated.

Anonymous said...

About 90% cities thru out the United States don't even have an Engineering department. They just contract an independent private sector Civil engineer when needed. We should do the same and save millions eliminating this department. It just doesn't make business sense to have two Assistant Engineers. One need to vote for Trey Mendez in order to clean up brownsville.

Anonymous said...

@11:34...There's must areason he was shelved at the traffic department and not fired. He must know some dirty city secrets for him to be making about $80,000 for just scratching his balls. Michael Lopez wasn't as merciful with Esparza, Gamez, Garza, etc...Salinas doesn't have any employees under him, but he still makes more money than everybody at Engineering /Traffic department. Hopefully, this new administration will fix that and look into why there's two assistant Engineer positions.

Anonymous said...

Those so call engineers need to go same millions for bike trails

Anonymous said...

I heard they all got a pay raise all three!

Anonymous said...

Los tres ni se hacen uno! We can do something about this! Email Asst. City Manager at Elizabeth.walker@cob.us Let her know that having two assistant Engineers is unnecessary or to removed the Engineering department. My whole family will be sending her emails.

Anonymous said...

I just saw a blinking traffic light on colonial st by central Blv.that means they are going to install a traffice light. Colonial st is 3 blocks long and is a dead end on both sides!!! WHY WHY WHY??? Check it out Juan.
Next st is los ebanos with a taffic light.UNBELIVABLE city engineers for you...

Anonymous said...

The whole town needs to drive by colonial st so the engineers can justify this expendeture of about 50K or more...

Anonymous said...

The real Don Johnson is the one was crying that one was needed there. The puppet Engineering Director and his two assistants are told to make it happen. The main reason we even have an Engineering department is for the city to do whatever they want. A real private sector Engineer would not approved it. Enough is enough, let's get rid of the Engineering Department and contract one when needed. Get someone who is not a puppet and knows what he's doing. Not like Carlos Lastra, who approved Mickey Mouse plastic bumps as a curb!

rita