Alameda County Pavement Conditions Hold Steady as Local Governments Put Tax Dollars to Work

Alameda County and its 14 cities largely maintained the quality of the pavement on their local street and road networks in 2018, with Berkeley and Oakland registering the biggest year-over-year improvements, and Dublin and Union City continuing to boast some of the smoothest streets in the Bay Area. Data released today by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) show Alameda County’s nearly 8,200 lane-miles of city streets and county roads registered an average pavement condition index (PCI) score of 68 out of a maximum possible 100 points last year, as calculated on a three-year moving average basis. This puts the typical stretch of asphalt in the county at the high end of the “fair” range, though local officials expect the county’s PCIs scores to rise steadily in the years ahead.

“We’re already starting to the see the payoff from SB 1,” noted Union City Mayor and MTC Commissioner Carol Dutra-Vernaci, referring to the transportation funding package approved by the state Legislature in 2017.  “The increase in gas tax money is helping Union City, Alameda County and all local governments start reducing their pavement maintenance backlogs. Cities like Oakland that also approved local tax measures for street repairs have been able to complete even more pavement rehab projects.”

 PCI scores of 90 or higher are considered “excellent.” Pavement with a PCI score in the 80 to 89 range is considered “very good.” The “good” category ranges from 70 to 79, while streets with PCI scores in the “fair” (60-69) range are becoming worn to the point where rehabilitation may be needed to prevent rapid deterioration. Because major repairs cost five to 10 times more than routine maintenance, these streets are at an especially critical stage. Roadways with PCI scores of 50 to 59 are deemed “at-risk,” while those with PCI scores of 25 to 49 are considered “poor.” Pavement with a PCI score below 25 is considered “failed.”  Three-year moving average PCI scores for all Alameda County jurisdictions are listed below:

The full Pavement Conditions Summary, including a list of average PCI scores for all Bay Area counties and cities, may be found at https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/PCI_table_2018_data.pdf. MTC’s Vital Signs website www.vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/street-pavement-condition provides even more detailed information, including both block-by-block analyses and a record of every municipality’s average PCI score for each year from 2003 through 2018. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.