City outlines 2025 street‑improvement list: nine reconstructions, Cape Seal preservation and Eastern Avenue sidewalk

City Engineer Anne Pagano presented the city’s proposed 2025 street reconstruction and pavement preservation program at the Jan. 13 study session, describing how staff prioritized streets, which treatments are planned, and the anticipated schedule for bidding and construction.

Pagano told commissioners the engineering team prioritized streets primarily by pavement condition (PASER ratings) and by the need for underlying utility replacement. The reconstruction list includes multiple residential streets with PASER ratings of 2 (examples discussed in the presentation: Ninth Street, Eleventh Street, Twelfth Street, Fulton and Griffin). Proposed work on those streets ranges from full reconstruction with new water mains, sanitary manhole work, and storm improvements to installing bioswales and dry wells where water quality measures are feasible.

Prevention and preservation: The city will use Cape Seal for a large set of streets identified in the packet; Cape Seal combines a chip seal and a micro‑surface and is considerably less expensive than full mill‑and‑fill, while still extending pavement life. Pagano said Cape Seal has been used previously and can extend pavement life by several years; staff noted that mill‑and‑fill or overlay remains the appropriate treatment when PASER ratings are 1–2.

Eastern Avenue sidewalk: The commission previously directed the manager on Oct. 7 to install a sidewalk on the south side of Eastern Avenue between Milliken and Peninsula Drive. Pagano said design plans are nearly complete and that the city is coordinating that work with MDOT’s planned signal and ramp improvements at Eastern and Peninsula; scheduled work aims to finish before the school year starts.

Gravel streets and drainage concerns: Fulton and Griffin — two of the remaining gravel streets on the city list — were discussed in detail. Staff proposed paving Fulton (Jefferson to Randolph) and constructing the Griffin connector trail (Locust to Union) because both fill gaps in the mobility network. A resident noted historic flooding at Fulton and Randolph; Frank Daturi, director of public services, and street superintendent Chris Webber described that the city has added curb and storm structures in recent years and that the proposed design includes dry wells and drainage elements to mitigate runoff. Pagano told the commission gravel is treated like an impervious surface in hydrology calculations and that paving reduces the chronic maintenance burden of loose fines entering the storm system.

Safety, bike and pedestrian features: Several commissioners and commenters urged more aggressive use of bumpouts, narrowed curb‑to‑curb widths and protected bicycle facilities where volumes and connections justify them. Planning staff and design engineers said some streets will include bulbouts, chicane (staggered) parking to narrow travel lanes, sharrows where indicated by the Mobility Action Plan, and rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons at specific crossings. Commissioners asked staff to add traffic volume data to the project table to help prioritize projects by usage as well as by PASER and utility condition.

Schedule and funding: Pagano said reconstruction bidding is tentatively scheduled for March with construction starting in May or June; pavement‑preservation (Cape Seal) will be bid slightly later and staged to match departmental staffing capacity. Some reconstruction and mitigation work will draw on municipal utilities and DPW coordination; a number of the street improvements will incorporate water quality treatments where feasible. Staff described coordination with the DDA, parking and other departments during the design phase. No formal construction contract award occurred during the study session; staff will return with contract recommendations when bids are ready.

Public comments: Nearby residents and users offered local experience: a resident on Fulton cited a past storm that flooded a basement and praised earlier city repairs; other commenters asked the city to prioritize sidewalk and crossing work that would benefit school routes and bike connectivity. The city committed to provide additional traffic volume data on streets under consideration.

Provenance (transcript excerpts):

"I'm Anne Pagano, City Engineer. Thanks for the opportunity tonight to present our proposed 20 25 street improvement projects." — (project opening)

"We have several staff members in attendance tonight to help answer questions including Zach Cole ... and Frank Daturi ... Chris Weber ..." — (staff list in presentation)