DOT reports PCI gains, new surface treatments and a mobile complaint system; board asks for geographic equity review
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Summary
DOT reviewed last season's road projects, introduced new treatments (rubberized chip seal, micromilling, microsurfacing), reported a PCI uptick from 64 (2018) to 69 (2024), and said it will roll out a GovPilot-based mobile complaint tracker. Supervisors pressed for fairness across districts and asked staff to return with allocation options.
El Dorado County’s Department of Transportation on Nov. 18 presented a year-in-review of maintenance and an outline for next year's program, highlighting newer surface treatments, roadside brush removal and a new public complaint-tracking tool.
David Marino, highway maintenance superintendent, summarized in-house operations—bridge crew work, traffic signals, equipment shops and road crews—and described emerging preservation techniques: rubberized chip and cape seals, micromilling and microsurfacing to extend pavement life. "We introduced micromilling in 2019...by far, it is one of the most valuable tools I think that we have in our toolbox," Marino said.
Ashley Johnson (DOT) described project selection: funding source limits (SB 1, tribal funds, general fund, Measure S), pavement condition index (PCI), average daily traffic and economies of scale. She said the county tries to address roughly 80% fair roads and 20% very poor roads and reported a countywide PCI increase from 64 in 2018 to 69 in 2024.
DOT said it spent about $889,000 of tribal funds on roadside brush removal in FY24–25 across ~40 centerline miles, and about $767,000 on asphalt and patch materials. The department announced GovPilot as a new cloud-based complaint-tracking and mobile-reporting system to allow the public to submit photos and assign issues to the appropriate supervisor automatically; DOT plans a year‑end pilot and public rollout.
Supervisors from the Tahoe Basin pressed DOT on geographic equity, noting District 5 has a higher share of roads categorized as poor or failing and higher unit costs for work in the Basin. DOT said some funding sources are population-based and that Measure S funds will be used across zones so every district sees work. Board members asked staff to return with options and clearer reporting on how district allocations are determined.
The board received the update and thanked staff for work that included projects on Barkley Road, Salmon Falls and the Green Valley Road corridor; several public callers praised responsiveness while urging continued focus on drainage and local priorities.
