FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

January 6, 2014 

Contact: Rachel Gordon 415-554-6045

San Francisco Street Pavement Conditions Showing Improvements 

Voter-approved 2011 Streets Bond living up to its commitment of smoother roadways

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – After a record year for paving and repairing San Francisco streets, the overall condition and quality of City roadways is steadily improving, thanks in large part to the voter-approved $248 million 2011 Road Repaving and Street Safety bond.

Public Works resurfaced and treated a record-high 854 blocks last year. In its yearly update to the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Public Works is reporting a Pavement Condition Index score of 66 for calendar year 2013, up from a score of 65 from the previous year and an average of 64 over the last 10 years.

“This is great news for cyclists, drivers, Muni riders and all of San Francisco. The funding from the 2011 general obligation bond has helped us turn things around and blunt the long-term decline in the condition of our streets,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “More work remains in smoothing out all our streets, but we have seen real improvements and are headed in the right direction.”

The Pavement Condition Index assigns city blocks a score from a low of zero for the worst pothole-riddled crumbling streets to a high of 100 for a freshly paved block. Public Works tracks the impacts of wear, erosion and aging of each street; assesses street deterioration; and rates each of the City’s 12,884 blocks. The assessment is based on visual surveys performed by evaluators certified by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's StreetSaver Rater Program. Each segment is evaluated based on ride quality, cracking and signs that the roadway may be breaking up in places.

A Pavement Condition Index score of 85-100 is rated as “excellent,” 64-84 “good,” 50-63 “fair,” and 0-49 “poor.” About half of San Francisco City blocks are rated at good or excellent condition.

The average score for San Francisco roads peaked at 77 in the late 1980s and gradually declined to the low point of 63. If current funding levels of approximately $70 million a year can be maintained, the citywide average Pavement Condition Index can improve to 70 by the year 2021. The new 2013 rating matches the current Bay Area average of 66.

San Francisco voters passed the $248 million Road Repaving and Street Safety bond in November 2011 at a time when the condition of City streets was at a critical juncture. Prior to passage of the three-year Streets Bond, San Francisco paved and resurfaced about 400 blocks a year. Presently, the annual number is closer to 900. About 2,400, or 20 percent, of San Francisco’s City-maintained blocks will be treated by the end of 2015 -- two-thirds funded with proceeds from the 2011 Streets Bond and the one-third paid for with other local and state money.

Public Works’ cost‐effective pavement-management strategy preserves streets in good condition instead of letting them deteriorate. The cost to reconstruct a street segment that is in poor condition versus making pavement preservation treatments to a segment that is in good condition can be about 50 times more expensive. Extending the life of a city block that is in good condition can cost around $9,000 in San Francisco. The complete reconstruction of an average sized block in poor condition, including repairs to the concrete base and the top layer of asphalt, can be as much as $436,000. These strategic preservation treatments can increase a street’s longevity and significantly reduce the lifetime costs per block.

The City is responsible for maintaining approximately 940 miles of streets. More information on the Streets Bond, including a listing of City blocks in the paving and resurfacing program, can be found at streetsbondsf.org.

About San Francisco Public Works: The 24/7 City agency cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and nurtures City-maintained street trees; designs, constructs and maintains City-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; builds curb ramps; eradicates graffiti; partners with neighborhoods; trains people for jobs; greens the right of way; and educates our communities.