NORWICH – The Norwich Public Works Director has set out to document conditions on all 162 road miles in the city while running each and every one of them.
Ryan Thompson, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, runs regularly to stay in shape. But around a month ago, he learned he could be accomplishing much more during his daily runs.
It started one day in September when he was bored with his normal route, and decided to take a different one. As he ran, he noticed some issues with a catch basin along the way. He documented it and sent it to the rest of his department.
“I just had an idea as I was continuing to run. Why don’t I do this across the rest of the city?” said Thompson.
So far he has covered about 20 miles of the 162. He said Norwich Public Works already knows which roads need to be repaved and which ones are in need of major repairs. But he’s looking for the smaller problems that can be fixed quickly and inexpensively, such as faded road signs, drainage problems, or posts that need to be replaced.
“This gives me an opportunity to get out there to see the things that aren’t necessarily reported, catch them myself, and try to make some immediate impacts cheaply,” said Thompson.
He said he has found more problems than he thought he would.
“There’s no shortage of things that we can work on unfortunately,” said Thompson.
But he’s also finding it to be a rewarding process. He’s sharing his progress and findings with the community on the public works Facebook page, and encouraging feedback.
He said, “I want people to know I very much care about the city. I want it to be the best it can be. I want to get out here and be a part of it and I want their input.”
Personally, he said he also hopes to lose about 20 pounds in the process, and take in Norwich’s beauty as well.
