Consultants tell Elyria council streets average a 'fair' PCI of 68; dashboard aims to guide repairs

Pavement Management Group presented the results of Elyria’s first citywide street-scanning study to the Community Development Committee on Jan. 12, saying the city’s average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is 68 on a 0–100 scale, a level the consultant described as “fair.”

James Golden, PMG’s CEO and founder, told council the firm completed high-definition video scans and an inventory of 2,087 pavement sections and used ASTM-standard distress extraction to build a GIS-linked dashboard called Road Insights. “The backbone of PMG’s pavement management program…is our expertise within this discipline as well as some software backed by the pavement management system,” Golden said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The report gives officials a data-driven basis to prioritize limited paving dollars. Golden highlighted key performance indicators that break the network into condition categories: about 19% of Elyria’s pavement area is rated Excellent, roughly 31% Good, about 47% combined Fair and Poor, and Failed is under 5%. He recommended keeping the failed area at or below 5 percent as a performance target.

PMG’s analysis also separates surface types: about 76% of the network is asphalt (average PCI ~64) and 24% concrete (average PCI ~77). Golden said those differences matter because concrete and asphalt require different maintenance approaches and costs.

Council members focused questions on practical uses of the data. Director Pajnowski reminded members that the dashboard includes the scanning video captured in late September and early October and offered staff support to show council how to access it. “That is a feature that you have to click a couple of times to get to,” he said.

Several members emphasized preventive maintenance. Councilmember Lupien asked how long a mill-and-overlay lasts before reflective cracking reappears; Golden cautioned “it depends” but said reflective cracking can appear within three to five years if base repairs are not made and suggested a 12–15 year life cycle for certain reconstructions. Councilmember Oswald urged a consistent crack‑sealing program, and Engineer Schneider confirmed the city is documenting crack-sealing work and will report completed streets into the PMG system so improvements are reflected in future PCI runs.

Budget and next steps: Golden said PMG can model what different annual budgets would yield in PCI improvements by ward and treatment type. Director Pajnowski and staff flagged potential benefits to starting bidding earlier in the construction season to gain better pricing. Golden told the committee PMG will work with staff on budgeting scenarios and encouraged members to use the dashboard as the city schedules maintenance and paving.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the PMG report; the presentation closed with staff and members noting next steps for using the dashboard in planning.