The poor condition of Third and Doughty Streets in Dunkirk has made for many a rattling ride recently. The city Department of Public Works is planning to repave the streets.

DPW head Randy Woodbury announced the plans during a meeting of the Common Council’s DPW committee last week.

“Third between Central and Main is the worst in the city,” Woodbury said. The heavily trafficked street resembles an urban modern art project, with dark black patches splattered atop cracked and potholed gray pavement.

“We’re going to do a mill and fill (between Central Avenue and Main Street), take everything out there,” Woodbury said. “I think we want to include striping near the railroad berm for parking.”

He had two reasons for the striping. One was that it could add parking for busy days on the nearby Pier. Woodbury said the walk from Third Street parking to events on the Pier would be considered a short one by Buffalo standards.

The other reason: if striping is included, Woodbury thinks the project will be eligible for the state’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement (CHIPS) funding program.

Woodbury has different funding plans for Doughty Street, an important route between Route 60 and Roberts Road. He said that because the street sees heavy truck traffic, he thinks it would be eligible for state and federal funding in an arrangement similar to the one that allowed the city to rebuild West Fourth Street several years ago.

Councilmember Nancy Nichols, the DPW committee’s chairperson, insisted the OBSERVER report how the city is looking to repave the streets. “We’re all getting beat up on the condition of them,” she said.