After weeks of discussion about road safety, emergency access and infrastructure concerns, the Worcester City Council voted against moving forward with a proposal to convert Viele Ave. from a private road into a publicly maintained city street.
Viele Avenue is one of roughly 80 miles of private roads in Worcester. While open to public travel, residents own portions of the roadway extending from their property lines to the street’s center line and are responsible for maintenance and repairs.
The issue was the surprise hot topic of the night, drawing lengthy discussion at the meeting, where residents, councilors and Department of Public Works officials debated the future of the unusual roadway and whether public ownership would solve longstanding concerns or simply create new ones…