San Francisco's Road Conditions Improve, Ranked Highest for Large Bay Area Cities in Annual Roads Assessment

San Francisco Pavement Condition Index rating is 75, meaning in “good” condition, according to annual review by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed and Public Works Director Carla
Short announced today that the City’s independently rated Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score increased to 75, a rating deemed “good” by the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission. This rating puts San Francisco at the top among large Bay Area cities.

San Francisco’s score, which covered calendar year 2023, was one point higher than the year before. This improvement is more remarkable considering it occurred during a year that San Francisco saw record storms early in the year that increased road repair needs. The score hovered in the mid-60s during the early 2000s. But the City’s strong commitment to invest in roadway maintenance over the last 15 years has resulted in a steady rise in the pavement condition score.

“The strategic approach to maintaining our roads has paid off – the streets are safer and smoother for people who drive, bike, walk and take transit,” said Mayor Breed. “I want to thank our hard- working crews who are out there doing the work to not only repave our streets, but also to fill potholes for our residents each and every day. This is a critical City service, and I’m proud of the work we are doing to take care of our streets.”
 

Street Resurfacing Program

Public Works, which oversees San Francisco’s Street Resurfacing Program, follows industry best practices by preserving streets in good condition instead of letting them deteriorate. This

approach is the most cost-effective. Extending the life of a block in San Francisco that is in good condition can cost as little as $50,000. By comparison, the price to completely reconstruct a block in very poor condition can be as much as $500,000 or more.

Public Works uses in-house Bureau of Building and Street Repair crews and outside contractors to perform the paving work.

• Last year, 503 blocks were treated

• More than 8,000 blocks – or more than 60% – of the City’s nearly 13,000 blocks have

  been resurfaced in the last 15 years

When selecting which blocks to repave, 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 upgrades. Geographic equity also is considered to make sure the street improvements benefit all neighborhoods.
 

Storm Response and Proactive Pothole Strategies

San Francisco’s higher PCI score in 2023 came despite a series of severe storms that battered the streets early in the year.

• Public Works Street repair crews filled 12,358 potholes in 2023, a nearly 18% increase from the year prior.

• Even with the spike in numbers, Public Works crews responded to 91% of the 311 service requests for pothole repairs within 72 hours, besting the 90% service-level target.

• The department also runs a proactive operation that rotates street-repair workers through a different supervisorial district month to focus on patching potholes they come across on residential streets. The presence of potholes is one factor considered in determining the PCI score.

“Our streets in San Francisco serve as core infrastructure, connecting communities, supporting commerce and expanding access,” said Carla Short, the Public Works director. “The improved PCI score demonstrates our commitment to keep the roads well maintained for our residents, visitors and businesses.”

How PCI Works

San Francisco’s Pavement Condition Index score, which is tracked by the independent Metropolitan Transportation Commission, rates roads from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst, rutted and crumbling, and 100 the best, just freshly paved. The average PCI score in the Bay Area is 67. San Jose’s latest reported score is 71 and Oakland’s is 57.

The assessment was based on visual surveys performed by specially trained and certified staff. Each segment is evaluated based on ride quality, cracking and signs that the roadway may be breaking up in places.

The PCI rating represents a cumulative snapshot of all the streets that fall under the city’s maintenance responsibility. Looked at individually, the MTC evaluation found that two-thirds of San Francisco’s blocks are considered to be in “good” or "excellent” shape.