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Council hears options to increase road funding as PCI holds but deferred maintenance grows
Summary
Public works staff told the Jan. 20 study session that Bainbridge Island's pavement condition index (PCI) averages about 70 across 282 lane miles, but deferred maintenance has grown; staff outlined funding options including a $2.5to3M annual target to stabilize conditions and a $5M option to reduce backlog, and said a public survey on funding is underway.
The Bainbridge Island City Council on Jan. 20 received an informational briefing on pavement conditions, funding options and shoreline roadway risks from public works staff. The presentation did not request action; staff said they will return with survey results and budget proposals later in the quarter.
The public works director told council the city maintains about 282 lane miles of paved roads and about 5 miles of gravel. The Pavement Condition Index (PCI) average across the network is roughly 70 on a 0-to-100 scale; staff said roughly one-third of roads are rated fair to poor and that the backlog of deferred maintenance has increased from about 8% in 2019 to roughly 12% in the latest assessment.
Staff explained the financial trade-offs between surface treatments and full reconstruction: a surface treatment such as an overlay, slurry or chip seal costs in the order of several thousand dollars per block, while full reconstruction can run into the hundreds of thousands per block. As examples, the Madison Avenue reconstruction cost about $1 million and took roughly three months; a shorter resurfacing segment on Sportsman Club Road cost about $300,000 and took a week.
On funding needs, staff described three reference points: the current pavement preservation allocation of about $1,000,000 per year, a $2.5to3.0 million annual target that staff said would slow backlog growth and better preserve the network, and a $5,000,000 annual level that would allow the city to reduce deferred maintenance over time. Staff emphasized the difference between the operational pavement-preservation fund (used mainly for surface treatments) and capital funding for reconstructions shown in the capital improvement plan (CIP).
The presentation included a new shoreline roadway assessment covering about 10 shoreline segments. Staff highlighted higher-risk stretches including Manito Beach Drive (frequent King Tide flooding), Rockaway Beach Road (vertical offset cracking adjacent to 2013 shoreline stabilization) and sections of Crystal Springs where revetments are failing and future permitting will be challenging. Staff said they are installing inclinometers and coordinating with geotechnical consultants to monitor movement and determine timing for interventions.
Council members questioned the data and options. Some asked why backlog grew even after increases to maintenance spending and whether the city could find savings in the general budget rather than seeking a levy. Staff said the most recent 2024 evaluation included subsurface investigations that identified more roads needing reconstruction (and therefore higher cost) than previous surface-based assessments. Staff also said the city is running a scientifically based island-wide survey on funding options and will return with results in Q1; if council directs it, a levy proposal could be placed on the Nov. 2026 general-election ballot.
Council discussion covered policy options including local improvement districts, one-way conversions on shoreline roads to reduce costs and options for doing more patching in-house versus contracting. The director said the city has increased streets staffing and can do more patching internally but that large reconstruction projects typically remain contractor work.
No formal votes or funding decisions were made during the study session. Staff committed to deliver the survey results and follow-up budget/CIP materials for council consideration later this year.
