SAN ANTONIO – People who live in the neighborhoods west of downtown, one of the oldest areas of San Antonio, say they feel forgotten.
Residents said their streets are deteriorating and have been for years, and they are unsure if the city has taken notice.
Alberto, a West Side resident, said he’s lived in his home for over 15 years.
He said he feels his neighborhood, near Culebra Road and Zarzamora, is abandoned by the city.
“Look there, on that side, there are no sidewalks. Everything is cracked and broken,” said Alberto.
Claudia Garza says this is a colorful neighborhood with many good people that pay taxes, so the very least the city can do is fix the streets.
“In accordance with what pertains to the city, just like we pay taxes, the very least they can do is pave our streets,” Garza said.
Juan Antonio Guajardo has lived in his home for nearly 50 years and says he’s seen better streets in Mexico.
“We make it a priority to keep our street clean. But the more we clean the street, it just continues to look like that — the potholes, you can see them right there, and they’ve been there for a long time,” said Guajardo.
District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo said he lives in the area and understands what’s needed.
“First of all, they’re right. You know, there are a lot of areas in District 1 that have been neglected for years, if not decades,” Bravo said.
Bravo said the holdup was there weren’t enough sidewalk repair crews initially, but those crews have increased since last year, and he’s hoping to double the budget for 2024 to help with repairs.
“It’s on a street-by-street basis, so some people might get their streets repaired next year. Some people might be two or three years away,” said Bravo.
Some of the areas of concern did fall into District 5. Councilwoman Terri Castillo sent KSAT the following statement:
“Through redistricting we now cover some of these areas of concern. Fortunately, all scheduled street maintenance projects in the area are still on our infrastructure schedule.
“We are excited to work together with residents of the area on their infrastructure needs, and we encourage residents to call our office at 210.207.0960.”
Castillo added that she had made specific requests for the upcoming city budget to account for these high-need areas.
Sukh Kaur, the candidate for District 1 facing Bravo in the June runoff, provided the following statement:
“Having knocked on over 4,000 doors across District 1, I have heard the need for improved infrastructure and maintaining the historic integrity within the heart of San Antonio. I intend to make infrastructure my priority when elected and my first hire on council will be focused on infrastructure. I want to ensure all residents in District 1 are included and have their voices heard so we can address the vital need for street and road improvements, sidewalks, drainage, and lighting to make our community safer. This is especially true for our West-side neighbors within D1.”
People are also encouraged to dial 311 to report any potholes, provide an address, and the city should have a crew out within 48 hours.