Butler motorists haven't had to travel to Kennywood Park to enjoy a roller coaster-like ride. They simply have had to drive to Pillow Street, where a major waterline break two weeks ago forced the digging-up of a section of the street. The patching of the street at the conclusion of that repair work has left much to be desired in terms of smooth travel.

Actually, it is an abomination. For two weeks, vehicles have been bouncing over the street, while others have chosen to drive in the wrong lane in order to avoid the "Pillowcoaster."

The situation isn't an asset to the city, which has plenty of other street-related problems that also are damaging the city's image.

The city's financial crunch has limited resurfacing work, and the heavily traveled South Monroe Street Bridge was closed on April 13 when an inspection showed that the bridge is not capable of carrying the load of any traffic. Meanwhile, despite resurfacing work on West Jefferson Street by the state Department of Transportation a year of two ago, vehicles still weave down the street to avoid recessed manholes that should have been raised to the level of the new road surface at the time of the resurfacing.

On the South Monroe Street Bridge issue, replacement of the 80-year-old span remains in limbo as CSX Corp., which owns the bridge, and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad, which leases the span from CSX, continue to balk at embarking on such a project.

The state Public Utility Commission has ruled under an informal complaint process that the owner of the bridge is responsible for its maintenance.

Regarding the "Pillowcoaster," John Evans, city zoning officer, said Friday that Pennsylvania-American Water Co. had assured the city that better repairs to the waterline break site would be forthcoming. However, the current condition must not be allowed to remain unchanged indefinitely - if only because it could be a cause of accidents.

And, the Jefferson Street manholes were a topic between PennDOT officials and the Butler Eagle several weeks ago, but no remedial work has yet been forthcoming.

Anyone who travels Butler's streets can see that the problems of this important part of the infrastructure continue to multiply. But city officials should not be content with sitting back and waiting for someone else to hand them a solution.

They should be persistent in addressing the problems and update the public at every council meeting. The motorists who remain inconvenienced because of the South Monroe Street Bridge closing have a right to know if no progress has been made, as well as if some progress has been achieved..

It is easy to be sympathetic with officials' frustration over what has not transpired in regard to the span, but they cannot be perceived as having forgotten about it - which some city residents might now suspect.

That appears to be not the case; Evans said Friday that the city was in the process of pursuing a solution both through CSX and Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Still, the issue could remain unresolved for years, if the pace of progress continues at its current unacceptable rate.

If nagging problems continue to evolve, officials might have to become more vocal and at some point ponder unconventional approaches to resolving problems. An unconventional approach to a nagging problem drew national attention for the City of Johnstown in December 1969. Then-Mayor Kenneth Tompkins ordered police cruisers to block the tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in response to refusal by the railroad to order its trains to stop blowing their whistles as the trains traveled through the downtown area during the nighttime hours.

The police cruisers remained in place until an agreement to halt the whiste-blowing arrived from B & O officials.

It is to be hoped that Butler will not have to get nasty about problems that other entities are causing for the city. But the city must act with its best interests in mind, even if some feelings are hurt along the way.

Butler should not have a "Pillowcoaster," and it should not have one of its major arteries closed for an inordinate amount of time. And, vehicle suspension systems should not have to undergo constant pounding because of recessed manhole covers - on Jefferson Street or any other street.

Butler isn't a second-class citizen and others shouldn't treat the city as if it is.

The city's leaders must become true defenders of the important responsibility with which they are entrusted.

- J.R.K.