MART, TX — Randy Thornton has been living in Mart for four years and in that time he's been constantly trying to get the roads in town fixed.
Thornton is an amputee and gets around town in a wheelchair, the only problem is that sometimes he can't even get to a sidewalk because the road is so bad on the way there.
"The VA bought this chair for me 9 months ago and the wheels, front and back are already tore up from driving up and down these rough roads out here," Thornton said.
He says he would stay home but there are essential things like grocery shopping and paying his bills that he needs to do and that can't be done at home.
Some roads in Mart are paved, others have been paved before but you can tell upgrades are needing and in other areas, it's mostly dirt and potholes.
"At least run a maintainer down the road to flatten them out some or pave them would be even better but I don't see that happening," Thornton said.
The City of Mart has begun a 5-year street improvement plan, a 5 phase process started in 2020, where 20 miles of road inside city limits are expected to be fixed.
25 News reached out to the city and they declined to comment on the project but residents say they see work slowly being done.
Street improvement takes time, Sydney Johnson has worked in Mart for four years and lives just outside the city.
"It's very exciting to know that there's some progress going on," Johnson said.
Johnson understands that road work is needed and knows that change will happen but it'll take a few years.
"Just be patient because not everything is done overnight and just be appreciative of seeing the slow progress going on," Johnson said.
Thornton said he's tried to talk with the city about road improvements but he says they don't give him much of a response.
"It doesn't do any good it goes into deaf ears," Thornton said.
He hopes the road improves soon because he's not sure how much longer his wheelchair will last him with the way things are now.
