Proposed summit on local conditions in District 4 chance to do things different

The timing couldn’t have been better or worse.
Last week, two first-ever events happened within days of each other.
For the first time, it appears county commissioners in all six counties in the state Division of Highways (DOH) District 4 will meet to discuss the “deplorable” condition of area roads.
While a first-ever briefing by the state secretary of transportation and District 4 officials to local leaders promised something akin to a moonshot to upgrade road conditions.
Our takeaway from this conflicting news is that the DOH and Preston, Monongalia, Marion, Doddridge, Harrison and Taylor counties all need to get in the same gear.
We applaud the Preston County Commission for its efforts to summit with representatives from counties in the District 4 on road conditions, maintenance and repair.
This is a good idea and can help build consensus on what needs to be done to make the state more responsive to local concerns about roads.
We equally applaud the Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary and the District 4 engineer for the updates on a half-dozen ambitious road projects in the works.
Not to mention the DOT secretary’s insights into the need to change the centralized bureaucracy that determines how our roads are managed.
Perhaps the only thing lacking is a meeting of the minds on what the state and counties need do to change the road we’re on.
The DOH always takes a beating during the winter for a host of credible reasons, including the need for ice and snow removal.
It’s clear too that continuing to require the DOH to be responsible for 94 percent of the state’s roads — 36,000 miles worth — is totally unrealistic.
In light of this proposed summit on road conditions in District 4 the timing couldn’t be better for some changes.
No, no one’s suggesting now is the time for every county to step up and maintain its own roads.
However, some counties and municipalities are potentially capable of partnering with the DOH on projects to help themselves.
The DOT secretary may have said it best when he noted, “We’ve (the state) gotten used to the whole system being ours. We can’t afford of think of it that way anymore.”
We’re uncertain of what to expect of this first exploratory meeting of counties on roads in District 4.
But we would encourage county representatives at this meeting to do more than rail against the DOH.
Why not make these meetings a regular quarterly event and invite DOH officials to them too?
One thing we can all agree on about our roads is it’s time for a change.