May 19, 2026
Public Works
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works / City
Engineer
Hillal Hamdan, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT:
Fiscal Year 2026–27 Senate Bill 1 Road Maintenance
and Rehabilitation Fund Project List
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City of Richmond is projected to receive $3,251,983 in Fiscal Year 2026-27 Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) Road
Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funds.
Adoption of the resolution will appropriate these funds to SB 1 (Fund 1019) for eligible roadway maintenance and
rehabilitation activities. SB 1 funds are restricted to transportation-related uses and do not impact the
General Fund. Although this appropriation applies to a
single fiscal year, RMRA revenues are ongoing and are
anticipated annually, subject to future City Council
approval of project lists to maintain funding eligibility.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City Council must adopt a resolution approving the
Fiscal Year 2026–27 SB 1 Road Maintenance and
Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) project list and
appropriating associated funds to maintain eligibility for state transportation funding.
AGENDA
REPORT
May 19, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving the Fiscal Year 2026–27
Senate Bill (SB) 1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation
Account (RMRA) project list and APPROPRIATE
$3,251,983 in RMRA funds to SB 1 Fund 1019 - Public
Works Department (Hillal Hamdan 510-621-1612/Robert
Armijo 510-620-5477).
DISCUSSION:
Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, established the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) to provide dedicated, ongoing funding to local agencies for transportation infrastructure improvements. RMRA revenues are derived from fuel taxes, vehicle fees, and other transportation-related sources and are distributed annually by formula through the California Transportation Commission (CTC).
To remain eligible for RMRA funding, local agencies must adopt, by resolution, an annual project list identifying proposed uses of funds, including a description, location, schedule, and estimated useful life of each project (Attachment 1). The adopted project list must be submitted to the CTC by July 1 of each fiscal year.
For Fiscal Year 2026–27, the City of Richmond is projected to receive $3,251,983 in RMRA funding. These funds represent a key component of the City’s pavement management program and are programmed in coordination with broader capital planning efforts to maintain and preserve the roadway network.
The City utilizes the StreetSaver® Pavement Management System to monitor pavement conditions and guide investment strategies. In recent years, the City has emphasized preventive maintenance treatments—such as slurry seals and cape seals—to extend the service life of pavements on residential and lower-volume streets in a cost-effective manner.
Recent pavement condition data indicates increasing deterioration along arterial corridors, which carry higher traffic volumes and are subject to greater structural loading. These roadways are experiencing conditions such as base failure, potholing, and deep structural distress that cannot be effectively addressed through surface treatments alone. If left unaddressed, these conditions are expected to accelerate deterioration and significantly increase future rehabilitation costs.
Based on current system conditions and lifecycle cost considerations, staff evaluated the following funding strategies:
Continue preventive maintenance focus: While cost-effective in the short term, this approach does not address structural deficiencies on arterial streets and may result in accelerated deterioration and higher long-term costs.
May 19, 2026
Hybrid approach (preventive + structural): Distributes funding across multiple treatment types but reduces the ability to meaningfully address critical structural failures on high-priority corridors.
Shift to targeted structural repairs (recommended): Concentrates resources on addressing base failures and structural deficiencies on high-volume roadways, stabilizing pavement conditions and supporting future rehabilitation efforts.
No action: Would result in the loss of SB 1 funding eligibility and continued deterioration of the City’s roadway network.
Based on this evaluation, City staff recommend prioritizing targeted structural repairs.
This approach aligns with pavement management best practices by addressing the most critical infrastructure needs and minimizing long-term lifecycle costs.
Consistent with this strategy, staff proposes a single project for the FY 2026–27 SB 1 program:
2026 Paving Project: Base Repair Blitz (Attachment 2)
This project will focus on targeted base repairs along arterial corridors, including the removal and replacement of failed pavement sections, recompaction of base materials, and placement of new asphalt concrete (Attachment 3). These improvements address structural deficiencies that cannot be resolved through preventive maintenance treatments.
While SB 1 funds are often distributed across multiple smaller projects, concentrating funding on a single, high-impact arterial repair effort allows the City to address the most critical roadway deficiencies in a meaningful way. This approach maximizes the effectiveness of limited funding by focusing on corridors with the greatest structural need and highest traffic volumes. Construction is anticipated to occur within the Fiscal Year 2026–27 cycle following project development and procurement.
Adoption of the proposed resolution is required to maintain eligibility for SB 1 RMRA funding. The recommended project list reflects current pavement conditions, prioritizes critical arterial infrastructure, and represents the most effective use of limited SB 1 resources to stabilize and extend the life of the City’s roadway network.
Adoption of the proposed resolution is required to maintain eligibility for SB 1 RMRA funding. The recommended project list reflects current pavement conditions, prioritizes critical arterial infrastructure, and represents the most effective use of limited SB 1 resources to stabilize and extend the life of the City’s roadway network. Accordingly, staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Fiscal Year 2026–27 SB 1 project list and appropriating $3,251,983 in RMRA funds to support implementation of the 2026 Paving Project: Base Repair Blitz.
May 19, 2026
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Citywide Arterial Base Repair Project List Attachment 3 – 2026 Citywide Arterial Base Repair Project Map