Here are some questions that have come up since the sidewalk petition was certified. I've done my best to answer them, but please feel free to follow up with me at [email protected] if you would like more info or have additional questions. Please scroll down the page…so far we have 10 questions and answers.

QUESTION #1: "What is the fastest, cheapest, easiest way to repair Dalton's sidewalks?" ANSWER: Replacing concrete slabs that are in the worst, most unsafe condition – or leveling out concrete slabs that are still intact – while leaving the rest of a still safe and usable sidewalk in place. As some 90% of the sidewalks in Dalton are already concrete, we have two choices for "fast and cheap" fixes: 1) Replace damaged concrete slabs with new concrete slabs, or 2) Replace damaged concrete slabs with asphalt. Examples of both types of these cheaper-and-easier repairs in Dalton neighborhoods are below. However, this approach makes the most sense when a majority of the rest of the sidewalk is still in good condition.

QUESTION #2: "Does this petition outlaw asphalt sidewalks in Dalton?" ANSWER: No. Our petition simply makes cement concrete the standard for permanent sidewalks in Dalton, in order to preserve the concrete sidewalks we already have. Asphalt sidewalks can still be used for emergency repairs, and the Highway Department can even ask for an exception or "variance" (from Dalton's Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, or the Select Board) to use asphalt or other preferred materials in specific situations where a concrete sidewalk doesn't make sense. These hearings would be public, so we all would be able to weigh in on those requests when they are made. Lastly, our petition does NOT say the Town must remove any existing asphalt sidewalks or replace them with concrete.

QUESTION #3: "Does this petition mean we may not have our sidewalks repaired at all, because concrete is more expensive than asphalt?" ANSWER: No. We can still repair our sidewalks. But we do need to come up with a larger budget for sidewalk repairs than the one we have now, regardless of what type of sidewalks we want. Right now we only have around $11,000 per year budgeted for Dalton sidewalks, and that doesn't go very far. I am working on some ideas and options that I'm planning to run by all of you in the next few weeks after discussing them with experts in our town, so please stay tuned for that.

QUESTION #4: "Will cement concrete sidewalks really save the Town money?" ANSWER: Yes. Mainly because concrete sidewalks last so much longer than asphalt. Below is a graph of costs over time. Because asphalt and concrete materials costs have both been rising at the same rate over many years, we can be pretty sure the same thing will happen in the future, and this graph illustrates that trend. The chart shows why asphalt is really a kind of "deferred maintenance" that puts costs on future generations. Basically, for a 200-foot sidewalk, the Town will save $3,000 over 25 years and $16,000 over 75 years by installing concrete instead of asphalt.

Over the next 25 to 75 years, Dalton would save an estimated 35% in sidewalk costs by using concrete instead of asphalt.

QUESTION #5: "Which concrete sidewalks in Dalton are over 80 years old?" ANSWER: One example is on the east side of Flansburg Ave, pictured below. The date of the sidewalk installation, 1940, is captured on a bronze plaque in the sidewalk. This concrete sidewalk is 84 years old, and it is still very walkable!

QUESTION #6: "What's the deal with the mini-asphalt paver? Was it just for sidewalks?" ANSWER: The paver can be used for road patching as well, and it is my understanding that the Highway Department had that in mind. Our petition doesn't address the mini-asphalt paver in the DPW's proposed budget directly, but it may have an impact on that purchase. The mini-paver purchase will be voted on in Article 16 of the fiscal year 2025 Town Warrant. You can read the motions and explanations document, which describes all the purchases for FY25 in the Town Warrant, here: Town of Dalton Motions & Explanations for FY25

QUESTION #7: "Were other avenues considered to encourage use of cement concrete for sidewalks in Dalton, before this petition was submitted?" ANSWER: Yes. In the week after the February 26 Select Board meeting and a survey of my neighbors's opinions, and prior to the sidewalk petition being written (or any signatures being collected), repeated efforts were made to discuss options and strategies with both members of the Select Board and with the DPW Superintendent. These began with emails and phone calls to two Select Board members and the Superintendent's office, beginning on March 3rd and 4th. I also requested to present sidewalk info at the Select Board meeting on Monday, March 11th. On March 5th I also requested a phone call or in-person meeting with a third Select Board member who I learned had been working closely with Superintendent Bud Hall on Dalton's sidewalk strategies; but his first available time to chat wasn't until after March 12th. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Town Clerk's office then informed me that a completed sidewalk petition with 10+ signatures was due on Thursday, March 7th, in order to be added to the 2024 Town Warrant — and this deadline was before I could make my initial presentation at the Select Board meeting, or have that requested discussion with the third Select Board member, or meet with Superintendent Bud Hall. But please note that earnest and sincere efforts were made to consult with the Select Board and Superintendent before pursuing the sidewalk petition. According to this timeline, I had little choice but to draft petition wording, obtain signatures, create this website, and submit the sidewalk petition all in only about 48 hours!

QUESTION #8: "Does snow melt faster on asphalt than it does on concrete?" ANSWER: Yes, but there is a flip side to that — the same sunlight-absorbing quality can superheat asphalt sidewalks in the summer, amplifying the unhealthy "heat island effect" of urban areas much more than concrete does, while also creating a dangerously hot surface for the bare feet of pets and small children.

QUESTION #9: "Which is more recyclable, concrete or asphalt?" ANSWER: They both can be recycled, but there are major differences. At this time, used concrete can be crushed up and re-used as aggregate — for example as new base material for sidewalks, roads, and other new construction projects (see MassDEP's 2017 "ABC Rubble" document). This crushed up concrete can also be used as a component of new concrete — without reducing the quality of that concrete. Bituminous asphalt, on the other hand, can be "reclaimed" and mixed in with new asphalt during construction. This type of recycling is called "reclaimed asphalt pavement" or RAP. But what is a bit misleading about RAP is that such remixing still requires additional "virgin binder" mixed in for it to work — and that "virgin binder" is the very same petroleum byproduct (bitumen) that makes bituminous asphalt environmentally unsustainable. In addition, MassDOT completed a study in 2020 that showed the recycled content of RAP asphalt had to be less than 15% for the pavement not to suffer from inferior durability (See MassDOT 2020 RAP Study). This small percentage of allowable reclaimed asphalt, combined with the necessity of additional virgin binder, means that asphalt recycling is not all that attractive from an environmental standpoint — and RAP certainly doesn't compare to the lower environmental impact and durability of low-carbon concrete (see this article on low-carbon concrete).

QUESTION #10: "What happens if the petition passes? Do the new regulations go into effect right away?" ANSWER: We have just learned from Town Counsel that there are additional steps to enacting new building regulations in Dalton after passage of a citizen petition. The next step will be a public hearing held by the Planning Board, with a required fourteen days' advanced notice, to review and consent to the petition's amendment to Dalton regulations. The passage of the citizen petition will be included as part of the public's input at the Planning Board hearing, but I think it will also be important for community members who want to weigh in on the concrete sidewalk standard be present at the hearing to voice their opinion. There do appear to be additional clerical steps beyond a Planning Board adoption of a regulation change, and you can read about all of this in the Massachusetts General Law Section 81Q, linked here: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter41/Section81Q