Oakland Buys New Street Repair Equipment

OAKLAND, CA — The Oakland Department of Transportation has christened a new $575,000 milling machine that city officials say will accelerate paving in every Oakland neighborhood in the coming years.

City transportation officials said acquiring the new equipment is the latest step forward as they ramp up their capacity to put funding included in Measure KK, a $350 million bond measure, to work addressing the
backlog in road repairs.

Measure KK was approved by 82 percent of Oakland voters last November. Transportation officials said that the City Council approved spending $25 million of that pot of money last June and they expect street repair spending to triple over the next two years.

"Bringing in equipment like this is the latest win-win from the Department of Transportation," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement after the equipment was christened Monday.

Schaaf said, "This is a win for our hardworking city crews because it lets us bring more of our jobs in-house, supporting our employees and their families. And it's a win for Oakland's taxpayers because the road work
they're paying for with Measure KK will be done more quickly and cost-effectively."

Department of Transportation director Ryan Russo said, "Our crews are out there every day working hard to deliver the best possible streets to Oakland residents and we are excited to be adding a major new tool to their
toolbox."

Russo said, "Taxpayers made a huge investment in their roads with the passage of Measure KK last year, and with new equipment like this we're putting that investment to work more efficiently and swiftly."City officials said the milling machine weighs 47,000 pounds and stands eight feet tall and stretches 30 feet long when its conveyor belt arm is extended.

They said it works by "milling" the roadway, grinding out damaged or uneven asphalt, which is a necessary step before new asphalt can be placed down to repair the road to a smooth condition.

Transportation officials said it's a major upgrade to the city's older equipment, both in capacity and effectiveness.

The cost of the machine is being paid for by city of Oakland funds and Alameda County's Measure BB, a transportation sales tax measure.

City of Oakland officials said community members are encouraged to report potholes and other infrastructure needs by calling (510) 615-5566.