The top concern of Lawrence residents still literally is where the rubber meets the road.

A recent survey conducted on behalf of the city asked residents to rank their priorities on a variety of city projects and services. When asked what city services should receive the “most emphasis” over the next two years, two out of the top three priorities had something to do to with roads and traffic. A whopping 71 percent of respondents ranked “maintenance of city streets/utilities” among their top three; 58 percent pointed to managing traffic flow and congestion. Although city officials are devoting considerable attention to a new police headquarters facility, just 34 percent of respondents listed the “quality of police, fire and EMS” among their top three priorities.

That’s probably not surprising. After all, what city service do most Lawrence residents interact with every day? Streets. Every time they hit a pothole, rumble over washboard pavement or encounter traffic congestion they have first-hand experience with something they think the city should do better. Public safety is an important responsibility of local government, but it doesn’t hit home on a daily basis like the condition of streets.

The good news for city officials is that the survey showed a significant increase in the number of local residents who now are satisfied with the amount of gym space available in city recreation facilities and in the percentage of respondents who feel safe in downtown Lawrence rose from 48 percent in 2011 to 61 percent this year. And even though streets still are residents’ top priority, they seem to be better than they were: 52 percent of residents were satisfied with the condition of city streets compared with just 40 percent in 2011.

Perhaps the main message of the survey for city officials is that even though residents see a need to provide parks and recreation services and support arts and cultural facilities, they still are focused on the city’s central responsibilities to maintain basic services and ensure public safety.

City commissioners have many issues on their agenda, but it’s good to be reminded that basic services — streets, infrastructure and police — still are the public’s top priority.