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Council approves 2025–26 restriping list and directs staff to develop formal prioritization policy
Summary
After discussion about equity and consistency, the council approved a 2025–26 street restriping priority list and directed staff to return with a formal, criteria‑based restriping policy before next year’s program cycle.
The Salinas City Council voted Oct. 14 to adopt its 2025–26 restriping prioritization plan and directed staff to develop a formal, criteria‑based policy for future restriping decisions.
Staff described the existing prioritization approach as an internally scored list that combines roadway classification (local, collector, arterial), traffic volumes, striping condition, service request counts and safety factors. Council members raised concerns that the current ad hoc reliance on service requests can disadvantage neighborhoods where residents are less likely or able to file requests.
Councilmember Andrew Barajas moved a substitute motion to approve the staff recommendation while requiring staff to prepare a formal restriping policy that codifies criteria such as traffic volume, crash history, striping condition and equity considerations and that the policy be presented before the 2026–27 restriping schedule. The substitute motion passed unanimously.
Why this matters: Pavement markings affect traffic safety, pedestrian crossings and school routes; formal criteria can increase transparency and equitable distribution of safety improvements across neighborhoods.
What the council directed: Staff will draft a restriping prioritization policy that includes measurable criteria (e.g., average daily traffic, safety/crash history, proximity to schools, equity metrics) and consider moving from annual to a two‑year plan and exploring on‑call contracting approaches to speed project delivery.
Implementation notes: Staff said constraints include a single regional striping contractor and recent escalation in contractor pricing; the council asked staff to include budgetary and procurement recommendations when they return with the policy.
Ending: The restriping project list for 2025–26 was approved subject to the council’s direction to develop written criteria and to return with a policy for formal adoption before next year’s planning cycle.
