Council briefing reviewed proposed pavement and bridge condition targets tied to levy goals

Council central staff and council sponsors on Monday discussed a proposed amendment to the comprehensive plan that would add firm, date-driven targets for street pavement and bridge condition.

The amendment (Amendment B, version 2) would set a pavement condition index (PCI) goal of 80 and Federal Highway Administration–style bridge condition goals: ‘good’ for 30% of vehicle bridges and ‘fair’ for 60% of vehicle bridges by the date specified in the amendment. Staff described the new language as stronger than a previous version that only sought to “achieve as funding allows.”

Council Member Sata, who spoke in support of the revised language, said the numeric targets trace back to companion levy legislation passed in 2024 and were meant to guide the transportation financial task force’s recommendations. “Those specific goals and targets were set forth directly in that companion legislation,” Sata said, and the amendment aims to align the comprehensive-plan language with that prior commitment.

In response to council questions about the scale of the effort, staff said about 23% of the city’s street blocks currently meet the PCI 80 goal and that PCI is measured on a 0–100 scale; staff also cited an older (2010) report noting over half of streets then rated between 70 and 100. Staff and sponsors acknowledged the data are not fully up to date and that achieving a citywide PCI of 80 would require significant work and sustained funding.

Hollingsworth said she would bring a revised version of the amendment to full council and thanked colleagues for collaborative drafting; the amendment is scheduled for full consideration on tomorrow’s council agenda.