If the matter weren’t so serious, the prospect of little Bremen standing up to the State of Maine over the maintenance of Route 32 might be amusing.
However, as any vehicle owner can attest, potholes are no laughing matter. Each year they cost the American motoring public billions of dollars in repairs. Figures vary by state, but according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, potholes cost each individual Mainer $299, whether they own a car or not.
It could be worse. Another source calculates New Jersey pays $596 per year, per capita, for the pleasure of their potholes.
The real issue is not the deterioration of the road as much as the lack of appetite for planning and funding long term infrastructure maintenance. The fact is, Bremen can scream all they want but they are just one community Department of Transportation officials have to deal with.
Route 32 may be in historically bad condition, but it is not unique and this is not a new thing. Bremen officials have expressed concerns over Route 32 before. We don’t blame them for being upset.
In fact, taking the comments of the board this week at face value, we wouldn’t be surprised if Bremen did shut down the road. It would definitely get some attention, but that won’t solve the problem.
The fact is infrastructure costs what it costs. It is a shared public resource, the expense of which does not go away because it is not budgeted for.
As it stands now, the cost is just passed on to the unlucky few who bear the burden in car repairs and lost time. Which is to say, it is a tax by another name, unfairly applied and poorly managed.
