DATE: MAY 14, 2024
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
FROM: DAVID JACOBS, PE, PLS, DIRECTOR
BY: ADRIANA ROBLES, PE, CFM, CITY ENGINEER
TITLE: PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT AND STREET SELECTION POLICY
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to accept the findings of the 2023 Pavement Management Program Update and approve a Resolution approving the Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The city maintains approximately 292 miles of roadway pavement. Establishing a Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy is crucial to strategically distribute funding to address pavement deterioration. By allocating most of the funding to Major Streets, available funds can be used more effectively on roadways used by most users including residents, businesses, and visitors. Following a two-phase process that incorporates Social Factors for Residential Street, prioritization will provide an equalization and socially conscious distribution of available pavement improvement funds to better address pavement needs.
BACKGROUND:
On August 18, 2020, the City Council approved a contract with Pavement Engineering Inc (PEI) for pavement condition surveys, updates to the StreetSaver Pavement Management Program (PMP) database, and pavement conditions reports (Resolution No. 21932) of the 292 centerline miles of roadway pavement maintained by the city. Public Works Engineering staff utilize the StreetSaver PMP for project-level pavement analysis for the creation of the annual pavement Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs). The StreetSaver PMP is also used as a budgeting and inventory tool, record keeping tool and pavement condition tracking tool.
In March 2021, PEI presented the findings of the PMP to City Council. The analysis from the PMP revealed that the replacement value of the city’s roadways would be approximately $1.1 billion dollars and a backlog of deferred maintenance of $169 million. The PMP indicated an overall average pavement condition index (PCI) of 55. PEI conducted an update of the pavement conditions analysis in Spring and Summer of 2023. The 2023 Pavement Management System Update now sets the overall average PCI at 53 or “Fair” (Attachment 2). Table 1 provides the PCI ranges and condition category.
Table 1. PCI Range and Condition Category
Condition Category:
Failed
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
PCI Range:
0-30
31-50
51-70
71-90
91-100
Figure 1. Pavement Deterioration Curve
A typical pavement deterioration curve is shown in Figure 1. Deterioration of pavement comes from age, use or fatigue, weather and maintenance. Vehicles circulating on roadways cause stress on the pavement. Over time this stress, compounded with environmental factors, maintenance, and the age of the pavement cause the pavement to begin to break apart, distort and unravel. Addressing pavement maintenance at the “critical point”, the point before the roadway deteriorates and repairs become more costly, is key to managing pavement more effectively, see Figure 2.
Figure 2. Critical Point Management
Since the needs for roadway maintenance are so extensive and the funds limited, it is important for the City to establish a policy of how funding will be distributed to maximize the impact of the available funding. Establishing a Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy is a proactive approach to managing the pavement network. It lays the foundation for the methods and processes used for the selection of streets and treatments.
Street Selection – Distribution of Funds
To maximum the impact of the available funding, the policy proposes to divide available pavement funding into three categories: Major Streets, Residential Streets and Stop Gap/Maintenance. Funding is proposed to be distributed with 60% of annual funding going to Major Streets, 30% to Residential Streets and 10% to Stop Gap/Maintenance efforts as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Annual Pavement Funding Distribution
Focusing the majority of the pavement funding (60%) into the maintenance and improvements of Major Streets would allow for the greatest impact to be made on streets that have the highest vehicular use and network importance without entirely neglecting residential streets and providing emergency or stop gap type maintenance projects.
Street Selection – Major Streets
Major streets are comprised of all City arterial and collector streets. This category makes up approximately 43% of the entire city roadway network. These are the streets most heavily traveled throughout the city and used by residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Major streets form the backbone of the City roadway system. The street selection for Major Streets will be listed as a three-step process. Using the Street Saver program, staff will generate a PCI and Weighted Effectiveness Ratio (WER) for each Major Street segment. Street Saver performs a life-cycle cost analysis and assigns a WER to each street segment based on the next treatment cost and anticipated service life. Using Average Daily Traffic (ADT) data collected by the City, along with the PCI and WER, each Major Street will be given a Priority Score. The Major Streets Score Charts in Table 2 define how the PCI Score, ADT Score and WER Score would determine the Major Street Priority Score and ultimately the priority list for Major Streets pavement projects. This method of scoring gives the highest score to the street segments that are most “at-risk” of deteriorating to a point where the right treatment is no longer a maintenance treatment, but instead a rehabilitation treatment, making the effort more costly.
Table 2. Major Streets Score Charts
Street Selection – Residential Streets
Residential Streets make up approximately 55% of the city roadway network. The strategy for addressing pavement maintenance of Residential Streets is proposed as a two-phase approach. As recommended by the Finance Committee at its April 9, 2024 meeting, Residential Streets will also incorporate social factors to address inequalities and hazards that may be amplified in residential streets. These social factors include curb accessibility, tree canopy cover, Disadvantaged Communities, and poverty.
Table 3. Residential Social Factors Score Charts
Accessibility
Tree Canopy Cover
Disadvantaged Community
Poverty
Curb Accessibility
Score
Tree Canopy Cover
Score
Disadvantaged Community
Score
Poverty percentile
Score
from
to
from
to
Yes
5 from
to
51%
60%
5 0%
5%
5 No
0 0%
20%
1 61%
70%
4 6%
10%
4 21%
40%
2 71%
80%
3 11%
15%
3 41%
60%
3 81%
90%
2 16%
20%
2 61%
80%
4 91%
100%
1 21%
25%
1 81%
100%
5 Social factors would be applied on a districtwide basis to residential street in both phases of prioritization to adjust the overall District Score. Data for social factors will be analyzed every five years. Data for Disadvantaged Communities and Poverty will be based on state published data. Curb Accessibility and Tree Canopy Cover will be based on City GIS data.
Phase 1 is intended to equalize or level the PCIs of each council district, making the condition of Residential Streets in all council districts similar, if not equal, based on a weighted PCI and social factor score (District Score). The weighted average PCI for each District as of April 2024 as follows:
District 1: 67.3 District 4: 44.7
District 2: 41.7 District 5: 39.9
District 3: 42.2 District 6: 58.5
Residential Streets in this phase will be prioritized based on the lowest overall District Score (weighted average PCI minus Social Factors score). Streets within the selected district would then be given a Priority Score based on the Residential Score Charts in Table 4.
Table 4. Residential Streets Score Charts – Phase One
Phase 2 of the Residential Streets selection strategy involves dividing available Residential Streets funds between the six council districts based on the percentage of pavement area within each district and applying the Social Factors. The percentage of pavement areas within each district as of April 2024 are:
District 1: 11% District 4: 14%
District 2: 12% District 5: 13%
District 3: 28% District 6: 22%
Distribution of funds would be based on the weight average score of pavement area and social factors score. The pavement area would contribute 80% of the weighted average and social factors would contribute 20% of the weighted average.
Residential streets would then be prioritized based on the PCI and WER, in Table 5, to determine the Residential Streets Priority Score within each District.
Table 5. Residential Streets Score Charts – Phase Two
It is important to note that streets within maintenance districts that assess for pavement maintenance will be managed independently of the strategies identified given that funding within these districts is guaranteed and available. The goal for pavement maintenance within maintenance districts is to always be “Excellent”.
Stop-Gap/Maintenance
The budget allocation for the Stop-Gap/Maintenance is intended to be used for streets that need immediate localized maintenance outside of the prioritization list, as is the case with crack filling or pothole repairs. As identified in the Pavement Restoration: Pothole Repair Plan current pavement restoration strategies have not been effective. The proposed stop-gap/maintenance funding would be set aside for targeted implementation. This targeted implementation would be dedicated maintenance work in the fall for crack filling and in the spring for pothole repair.
Discussion:
Implementing a proactive approach to project planning and scheduling of pavement maintenance and rehabilitation contributes significantly to efficiency and cost effectiveness. The Strategies used to develop this Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy create an efficient, defined, and repeatable process for prioritizing streets for selection in a pavement maintenance and/or rehabilitation project while incorporating the goals of inclusion and equity into Residential Streets. This policy will assist the City use a critical point management approach more effectively to manage pavement Citywide.
The Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy was presented to City Council on February 20, 2024. Council sent the item back for review and further analysis by the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee at its April 9, 2024 meeting recommended approval of the policy requesting that the policy also incorporate social and health factors for residential streets. This policy incorporates curb accessibility, canopy tree cover, Disadvantaged Communities and poverty as the social factors. These factors take into account social and environmental factors which may contribute to quality of life.
ADA compliance is a federal requirement for certain pavement projects. Roadways serve everyone, including people with disabilities. Incorporating accessibility as a social factor addresses inequities for less abled residents. Trees have been proven to improve quality of life by reducing the urban heat island effect and removing pollutants from the air that contribute to health problems.
In 2012, Senate Bill 535 required CalEPA to identify communities with the designation of Disadvantaged Communities based on “geographic, socioeconomic, public health, and environmental hazard criteria”. Incorporating Disadvantaged Communities into the social factors allows for these designated communities to receive funding to address pavement inequalities.
Income can affect health when people cannot afford healthy living and working conditions, nutritious food, and necessary medical care. In 2021 the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a new version of the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen 4.0). CalEnviroScreen 4.0 identifies the percent of the population in California with incomes less than two times the federal poverty level. Incorporating poverty as a social factor allows districts with higher levels of poverty to prioritized.
Incorporating social factors allows equity to be included into the street selection process for residential streets. Applying an equity lens allows for analysis of the City’s streets through specific disparities or social factors to take a more holistic approach to pavement management.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 includes the general rule that CEQA applies only to activities which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Because the proposed action and this matter have no potential to cause any effect on the environment, or because it falls within a category of activities excluded as projects pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, this matter is not a project. Because the matter does not cause a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change on or in the environment, this matter is not a project. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
The Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy addresses the City Council's Goals of Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability and Effective and Culturally Responsive Government by creating a strategic plan that addresses improving the condition of roadways in an equitable and effective manner.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
Departmental coordination will be required following approval of the policy between the Public Works Department and the Finance Department to better assess any available funding that may be used for roadway maintenance.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
Approval of the Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy has no fiscal impact. The policy establishes how available funds budgeted as part of the City’s annual budget are distributed for pavement maintenance.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Attachment 1: Draft Pavement Management and Street Selection Policy Attachment 2: City of Salinas 2023 Pavement Management Program Update, Draft Report Attachment 3: City of Salinas Memorandum, Pavement Restoration: Pothole Repair Plan, July 31, 2023 Page | 3
Page | 1
Street Selection of Residential Streets does not include streets that are maintained by a Maintenance District.
Disadvantaged Communities are based on CalEPA map for SB 535.
Poverty is based on census track data provided by the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen).
SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities Map, https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/sb535 CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Indicator Maps, https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ed5953d89038431dbf4f22ab9abfe40d/page/Indicators/?views=Poverty
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