Contra Costa Streets and Roads Earn "Good" Marks as County, Cities Put Tax Dollars to Work

Contra Costa County and its 19 cities and towns largely maintained the quality of the pavement on their local street and road networks in 2018, with Orinda and Moraga registering the biggest year-over-year improvements and Brentwood, Clayton, El Cerrito and San Ramon continuing to boast some of the smoothest streets in the Bay Area. Data released today by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) show Contra Costa County’s roughly 7,000 lane-miles of city streets and county roads registered an average pavement condition index (PCI) score of 70 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 low end of the “good” range, though local officials expect the county’s PCIs scores to rise steadily in the years ahead.

“The big jumps in Orinda and Moraga are due in large part to local tax measures approved in 2012,” explained MTC Commissioner and Orinda City Councilmember Amy Rein Worth. “El Cerrito’s consistently high marks reflect voters’ 2008 approval of a dedicated sales tax for its street improvement program. Now we’re starting to the see the positive impact of state gas tax money delivered to local governments through the Senate Bill 1 transportation package approved by the Legislature in 2017, which is helping Contra Costa County and all the cities whittle down their pavement maintenance backlogs.”

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 Contra Costa County jurisdictions

The full Pavement Conditions Summary, including a list of average PCI scores for all Bay Area counties and cities. MTC’s Vital Signs website 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.