To the Editor:

Harrison Street becomes more unsightly week by week as more and more overhead power supply lines and telecom cables are installed, and the slightest burst of wind, rain, or snow causes power outages, sometimes lasting just a second (which is enough to disrupt computers, cable TV, and so on), but sometimes much longer. Something must be done, and here is an example of how New York City did it (The Atlantic, October 2020, page 68):

“In early 1889, telegraph, telephone, and utility companies were given 90 days to get rid of all their visible infrastructure. New York’s industrial forest of utility poles was cleared, allowing some residents to see the street outside their windows for the first time. Underground conduits proved cheaper to maintain, and they could fit more bandwidth, which ultimately meant more telephones and more electricity.”

That is the kind of firm action we need from our town government.

Avinash Dixit
Gordon Way