Community Corner
Report Shows Need To Preserve Road Funding
The report shows roads in the unincorporated area to be in poor condition, underscoring the needs to preserve existing funding for repairs.
From Santa Cruz County: The 2018 Local Streets and Roads Need Assessment shows roads in the unincorporated area to be in poor condition, underscoring the needs to preserve existing funding for local road maintenance and repairs.
The report rates jurisdictions across California based on their Pavement Condition Index, a widely accepted numeric measurement of 0 to 100 that considers all facets of road conditions, including age, potholes, cracking, etc. Unincorporated Santa Cruz County's roads have a PCI of 48, which is considered poor.
"The assessment underscores the need to maintain funding to repair and restore our roads system," Public Works Director Matt Machado said. "We are still digging out from the winter storms of 2017, and many of those projects are on the cusp of moving forward.
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Furthermore, between SB1 and Measure D we have an unprecedented opportunity to improve our roads and the quality of life for all Santa Cruz County residents." SB1 is projected to provide more than $115 million in funding to Santa Cruz County's cities and unincorporated area over the next decade, and is providing much of the County's matching funds for more than $125 million in state- and federal-funded storm repairs.
Approved by voters in 2016, Measure D provides approximately $2.5 million annually for local streets and roads in the unincorporated area (along with other transportation funding).
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The 2018 Report underscores the urgent need for California to maintain existing levels of dedicated transportation funding or risk continued decline of the state’s transportation system. An analysis conducted by Nichols Consulting Engineers concluded that if transportation funding is reduced to less than existing levels, California's local street and road funding shortfall will grow by at least $12 billion for pavement repairs alone, and the number of roads in failed condition will increase to nearly 30 percent in the next decade.
The full assessment can be found at www.SaveCaliforniaStreets.org
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