FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org
MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES CITY'S PLAN TO RESURFACE 500 BLOCKS OVER THE NEXT YEAR
Paving goal will keep San Francisco's roadway condition at an independently tracked rating of "good" and rated the best among the Bay Area's big cities
San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced the City’s plan to pave an additional 500 blocks over the next year using local and state funding of approximately $77.3 million. This builds on the City’s long-term program to resurface streets across the City, which has led to San Francisco having the best road rating of any large Bay Area city.
In the last 10 years, more than 7,700 blocks – or about 60% – of the City’s nearly 13,000 blocks have been resurfaced. The effort has paid off. San Francisco’s Pavement Condition Index score, which is tracked by the independent Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), rates roads from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst, rutted and crumbling, and 100 the best, just freshly paved. In 2009, the City’s cumulative score was 63; today, it’s 74, which is considered “good.”
Looked at individually, the MTC evaluation found that two-thirds of San Francisco’s blocks are considered to be in “good” or "excellent” shape. San Francisco’s rating is the best among large Bay Area cities and exceeds the regional score of 67, considered “fair.”
“We have been making significant progress improving the condition of our streets and we are committed to keeping the momentum going,” Mayor Breed said. “Smoother roads mean safer roads no matter how you get around San Francisco. The ongoing strategic investments in our street resurfacing program also create jobs and supports commerce, which are critical to the City’s continued post-pandemic economic recovery.”
Well-maintained streets provide safe mobility and make possible the movement of goods and services to benefit San Francisco’s economic vitality. Public Works, which oversees San Francisco’s Street Resurfacing Program, uses in-house Bureau of Building and Street Repair crews and outside contractors to perform the work.
“It’s no secret that San Francisco, like communities across the West, was hit hard by potholes this past winter with the incessant rains – keeping our pothole repair crews working extra shifts, seven days a week, to catch up,” said interim Public Works Director Carla Short. “Roads that are in good shape to begin with reduce the chance of potholes forming, amplifying the importance of our proactive paving initiative.”
When selecting which blocks will be repaved, the Street Resurfacing Program Team considers a number of factors: roadway condition, use – streets with public transit and bike lanes, for example, are prioritized – and whether the paving project can be combined with other infrastructure projects, such as sewer and water system upgrades, to minimize disruption to residents and businesses. Geographic equity also is considered to make sure the street improvements benefit all neighborhoods.
Among the streets on the list for consideration are Golden Gate Avenue, Junipero Serra Boulevard, Mariposa Street, Bryant Street, Shafter Avenue and Vallejo Street. The goal is to resurface 500 blocks.
Funding comes from a variety of local and state sources, including vehicle registration fees, revenue from gas and sales taxes and Certificates of Participation, a type of tax-exempt government bonds.
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