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City engineer lays out street asset-management plan; warns of funding shortfall and possible wheel-tax implications
Summary
City Engineer Michael Pierce told the Westfield Common Council City Hall on Feb. 3 that the city maintains roughly 302 center lane miles (592 lane miles) of road and has a weighted Pavement Condition Index of 71.9; he urged preventative maintenance and outlined expected per‑mile costs and a 2025 budget that depends on matching state grant funding.
Michael Pierce, city engineer, presented the city’s pavement asset‑management approach to the Westfield Common Council on Feb. 3, providing mileage, condition scores and per‑mile cost estimates the city uses to prioritize maintenance.
“The city of Westfield currently, as of today, has 302 center lane miles of road, which equates to 592 lane miles of road,” Pierce told council. He said the city has added an average of 11.8 center lane miles per year over the last seven years and that 27 percent of the network was built during that period.
Pierce said the city’s weighted average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is about 71.9 and described the asset‑management philosophy: “The overarching idea is that we keep our good roads in good condition while also treating our roads that are in a worse condition and bringing those up into a good condition.” He emphasized preventative maintenance such as crack filling and preservative seal because resurfacing and reconstruction are far costlier.
Pierce provided order‑of‑magnitude per‑center‑lane‑mile estimates used for budgeting: crack fill roughly $5,000–$10,000 per center lane mile; preservative seal about $20,000; a typical 2‑inch mill and resurface about $211,000; a 4‑inch mill and overlay about $332,000; and full reconstruction approaching $927,000 per center lane mile (amounts vary by pavement section and technique).
For 2024–25 maintenance the city budgeted just over $4,000,000, most of which is for resurfacing, Pierce said. He also reported the city secured a $1,500,000 Community Crossings grant (Community Crossings/INDOT) for 2025 that must be matched by the city. Pierce said the resurfacing package for the year was out to bid with bids due Feb. 19; the contract award will depend on bid alternates and available funds.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about backlog estimates, the share of resurfacing directed to subdivisions versus arterials, stone shoulder maintenance and striping timing. Pierce said streets are inspected every two years and that the city is moving some preventative work in‑house to reduce costs (for example, crackfill performed by city crews rather than contractors).
Mayor (unnamed) added that statewide legislation under consideration might require a new local wheel tax to maintain eligibility for Community Crossings grants, and cautioned the council that losing those grants could remove roughly $10 million of road‑improvement funding over a decade if legislative changes proceed.
Pierce’s presentation gives the council a data‑driven framework for deciding which streets to prioritize, and staff said they will publish the city’s 2025 resurfacing plan in the spring once bids are opened and contracts awarded.
