Milwaukie staff: street-repair goals remain; PCI data outdated and funding gaps persist

Milwaukie — City staff presented an annual update on the SAFE and SSMP street-maintenance programs at the Milwaukie City Council work session on Feb. 4, saying the original program goals remain focused on arterials and collectors but that residential streets are now being folded into the work plan and funding remains uncertain.

The update said the SSMP (Sidewalk and Street Maintenance Program) was established in February 2007 and the SAFE program was adopted around 2018; both target priority corridors but staff reported they have begun adding residential pavement work and preventative maintenance to avoid full reconstruction. Jen, the city engineer, told councilors the original SSMP target was to raise material and collector streets to a pavement condition index (PCI) of 75% within a 20-year horizon, but she and staff called that target “ambitious” and said the program goals and funding levels need review.

Why this matters: Many residential streets in Milwaukie are now at or past the reconstruction threshold, and choices about whether to rebuild or apply less‑invasive treatments (geomats, fiber additives, grind-and-inlay, slurry seals) will determine how far limited dollars stretch.

Key details from the…