Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pavement Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultants tell commission city streets score a 74 on average; maintainance would require roughly $5.5M a year
Summary
Roadway Asset Services presented a citywide pavement condition index (PCI) report showing an average PCI of about 74, backlog of roughly 5.2% (streets likely needing reconstruction), and modelled scenarios that put maintenance costs well above the city's current $1.0–1.2M street budget.
Scott Gordon, president of Roadway Asset Services, told the Inner City Commission at a special workshop on Aug. 17 that the firm surveyed roughly 153 centerline miles (about 181 test miles driven) and produced a citywide pavement condition index, or PCI, to guide long-range street maintenance.
"You're sitting at a 74," Gordon said during the presentation, explaining the ASTM D6433-based scoring system used to quantify cracking, rutting and other distresses. He said roughly 65% of the network is asphalt, about 29% concrete, and the study identifies a backlog — roads categorized poor or worse — at approximately 5.2% of the network. "Backlog means those streets that are going to require reconstruction," he said.
Gordon ran several Cartograph optimization scenarios to show long-term budget impacts. In an illustrative chart he showed what he called a "maintain" scenario and said maintaining the city's current condition would require "a little over 5 and a half million dollars a year." By contrast, the city’s recent annual allocations for streets have been closer to $1.0 million historically and roughly $1.2 million in the most recent planning example.
The consultant also presented a high-cost "fix all" illustration that would bring the network to near-new condition but carries tens of millions in up-front cost. Gordon emphasized Cartograph produces scenarios and recommended staff overlay engineering judgment and local priorities before final project selection.
Commissioners asked about the dataset and map access; Gordon said imagery and all measurement data were delivered and imported into the city’s Cartograph/GIS system and that the city can update scores annually after construction to reflect improved conditions. He also recommended targeted geotechnical or deflection testing at the project level before deciding whether a segment truly requires full reconstruction or a thinner overlay.
Next steps discussed at the workshop included staff review of the Cartograph scenarios, prioritizing arterials versus neighborhood equity, and budgeting choices for year-to-year implementation. The firm offered optional services to update the city’s database annually or at the end of construction seasons.
