Council asks for clearer tracking of street and sidewalk projects after mobility report

WORCESTER — Worcester City Council members on a routine agenda item asked city staff to add clearer year-of-selection and budget status markers to a monthly report listing ongoing and forthcoming street and sidewalk projects, and voted to refer the report to the council’s Public Works Committee for further discussion.

Councilor Russell said she was having trouble keeping track of which projects were current priorities and whether the list reflects only the current fiscal year or selections made in prior years. She asked that the report be sent to the Public Works Committee for more detailed discussion.

City staff member Mr. Rawlings told the council the document covers active projects currently under construction or design and that the administration intends to submit the list on a monthly basis. Rawlings said the format can be adjusted to denote the year projects were selected and show status for prior selections until they are complete.

Councilors said the year and budget context matters for residents who have seen streets remain on lists for multiple years. Councilor McCallson highlighted an example of a D2 street that has been on prior lists and asked that prior-selection years and remaining unallocated funds be shown.

The council voted to transmit the Department of Transportation and Mobility report (street and sidewalk projects as of 08/31/2025) to the Public Works Committee for further review and to request the additional year and budget-status fields discussed during the meeting.

The referral was approved by voice vote. No formal amendment to the report was adopted; staff agreed to update the report format and continue monthly submissions to the council and to Public Works.

The referral and the requested report changes are intended to give councilors and the public clearer information about which streets are part of multi-year selections and what money remains unallocated for each item.