From: Jordan Moldow
Sent: Monday, April 8, 2024 12:25 AM
To: Loesch, Matthew; Nguyen, Mathew (PW); Scott, Rick; TEPublicComment Ce: District4; District 6; District5; District8; District9; District3 Subject: Public Comment - T&E 4/8 - Item (d)3. "Citywide Deferred Maintenance Infrastructure Backlog Status Report."
[External Email]
Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important Public Comments from Jordan Moldow (speaking on behalf of himself):
The city is doing a good job of reducing the road pavement backlog, but this improvement will not last forever. As the pavement ages, utilities require digging up the pavement, and Measure B and Measure T expire, the backlog will grow again. As can be seen today, road pavement can easily become the largest single line item, by far, in the maintenance The future maintenance backlog can be reduced by decreasing the amount of pavement that heavy automobiles drive over every day. This is best accomplished by:
Not building more public roads
Not widening or extending public roads
• Installing separated Class IV bikeways
• Narrowing roads and installing the latest best-practices in green streets elements and drainage (sunken rain gardens, bioretention cells, bioswales, semi-permeable curbs, etc.) • Narrowing roads and widening sidewalks
On the other hand, for every road created/widened/extended, and every new induced mile of VMT, the unfunded road pavement backlog will increase beyond previous record highs.
Relatedly, it is worth clarifying whether the 2,519 miles of paved streets is referring to lane-miles, or just linear miles on a map. If it refers to the latter, then the 2,519 number doesn't accurately capture the cost of rebuilding the infrastructure. The number of lane-miles and/or square feet of pavement also need to be known, to understand how big the backlog can grow to. And these numbers can be decreased through the tactics above.
It would also be valuable for the city's Intergovernmental Relations to advocate for federal and state regulations that would incentivise automobile buyers to choose light sedans over heavier trucks and SUVs, and incentivize automakers to design smaller and lighter trucks and SUVs. Both of which would help extend the useful lifetime of the pavement. In recent decades there have been more (and larger) trucks/SUVs and fewer sedans driving on the road. Smaller, lighter vehicles are also better for Vision Zero. [https://smartgrowthamerica.org/bigger-vehicles-are-directly-resulting-in-more- deaths-of-people-walking/] [https://www.axios.com/2023/01/23/pickup-trucks-f150-size-weight-safety] [https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-wants-to-close-the-suv-loophole-that-supersized-cars/] 1 50%
40% Sedans
SUVS
30%
20%
Pickur
Source: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/bigger-vehicles-are-directly-resulting-in-more-deaths-of-people-walking/ A 1970s-era Ford F-150 compared to a modern version. Graphic: Will Chase/Axios Source: https://www.axios.com/2023/01/23/pickup-trucks-f150-size-weight-safety Jordan Moldow (speaking on behalf of himself)
District 3
San Jose, CA 95112
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. 2