McAllen details alley-paving plan: $3.6M stimulus covers roughly 5.5 miles; full paving estimated at $25M

City staff updated the McAllen City Commission on a stimulus-funded alley-paving program and the city’s longer-term alley needs.

The presentation said McAllen has approximately 141 miles of alleys (a slide noted 142 in a corrected remark) and offered a rough estimate—prepared about a year to a year and a half earlier—placing the cost to fully pave all alleys at about $25 million. Staff cautioned the figure was an earlier estimate and is subject to escalation.

Staff described the alley inventory as roughly 54% asphalt, about 28% caliche or similar millings and 18% with millings applied for stabilization. The transcript used varied spellings for the material; the city described those surfaces as less durable than full asphalt and more maintenance-intensive during rains.

Officials said the city was allotted $3.6 million in stimulus funds for alley work. Design services consumed about $287,000, leaving roughly $3.2 million for paving; staff said that allocation was intended to cover about 5.5 miles. Sections A and C were completed last year, and section B is currently out for bid and active this year.

Staff explained the prioritization approach used to pick alleys for the funded work: surface condition (poor/fair/good), pavement material (dirt, caliche/millings), driveway connections (whether alleys function as driveway access) and whether the alley is on a trash collection route. Scores were weighted to balance deterioration, use and continuity in the network.

Commissioners asked whether the city could formally abandon or eliminate alleys that serve no utilities, trash service or public access to reduce paving needs. Staff said a small number of property-driven requests have come forward historically and that the city could inventory candidates for abandonment, but such cases were uncommon.

Several commissioners noted neighborhood differences: newer subdivisions (District 2) were reported as nearly fully paved, while older districts have more unpaved alleys and rely on alleys for trash pickup. Commissioners urged the staff to consider pedestrian connectivity to trails and sidewalks, and questioned the long-term trade-offs of repeated caliche maintenance versus full paving.

Staff clarified that some of the alley funding came from ARPA-related resources that were previously allocated, and that the program has been implemented across design and construction phases over roughly two years. With questions answered, the commission recessed into executive session; no formal votes were taken at the workshop.

Next steps: staff will continue work on section B, inventory potential abandonments, and incorporate alley improvements into budget discussions for the coming year.