The city of Berkeley has budgeted nearly $15.4 million through June 2015 to repave nearly 25 miles of city streets, many of which are in rough shape and desperate need of improvement.
So which streets will be paved? Berkeleyside has created an interactive map — scroll down to view it — to show which streets are on the list for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Streets marked in blue are set to be repaved in 2014 by June, while those in red are slated to be fixed in fiscal year 2014-15.
Those streets are described in more detail in a report submitted to the Berkeley City Council by the city’s Public Works Commission last November.
This is the first year Measure M funding, approved by voters in November 2012, is available for street and watershed projects, which is expected to speed the pace of progress. Measure M allocates $30 million toward street and watershed improvements, to be split over five years.
The city is using a computer program called “StreetSaver” to help set the priorities for improvements going forward. The program looks at criteria such as pavement condition, cost effectiveness and the type of repair needed to set the priorities. The hope, according to city staff, is that this will allow Berkeley to raise its overall Pavement Condition Index (PCI) in “the optimum way,” according to a staff report from last fall.
Only 24% of city streets not at risk, in poor condition or failing
A city auditor’s report from 2011 found that, of Berkeley’s 216 miles of streets, about 13% were “at risk,” 25% in worse shape, in “poor condition,” and another 12% in the lowest category, “failing.” At that time, Berkeley’s average PCI was 58 — considered “at risk” — while the target PCI for Bay Area streets is 75.
The report painted a grim picture of a city struggling to keep up with street improvements that are growing, and already cost more than the city can afford.
“Berkeley’s streets are failing,” according to the report. “Without action now, we have to ask, ‘If we can’t afford to fix our streets now, how are we going to be able to afford to fix them in the future when the cost will be millions more?’” (Read the auditor’s report here.)
The voters passed Measure M to try to address those problems, at least in part.
In 2014, 7.8 miles of Berkeley streets are slated to be repaved, split almost equally between “collectors” — such as Cedar Street, Shasta Road, Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Wildcat Canyon Road — and less-traveled residential streets. Nearly 4.7 miles of bike routes are expected to be improved along the way. Projects are expected to cost $4.2 million.
In 2014-15, nearly 17 miles — including almost 8.4 miles of bike routes — are scheduled to be repaved, costing nearly $9.2 million. “Collectors” include Cedar, Durant Avenue, Hearst Avenue and Rose Street, along with many residential streets, such as Ninth Street, Berkeley Way, Channing Way, Parker Street and Russell Street.
2 miles of city’s largest streets are in the mix
Nearly 2 miles of the city’s largest streets are also in the mix in 2014-15: Derby Street, Dwight Way, Hearst Avenue and Shattuck Avenue are among them.
In June, the Public Works Commission will make its recommendations for upcoming years, which will be based on Public Works staff suggestions described in the next five-year paving plan.
In addition to Measure M, the city’s approximately $3.4 million annual street paving program is funded by the General Fund, Measure B, and state transportation tax funds, according to last fall’s Public Works Commission report.
Read more about Measure M, and about the state of Berkeley’s streets.
Related:
Have your say on improving Berkeley’s streets, watershed (09.30.13)
Scorecard would help determine Measure M projects (07.18.13)
Second Measure M planning meeting comes Saturday (06.06.13)
City asks residents to brainstorm Measure M spending (04.23.13)
Ambitious public works program falls short of need (03.21.13)
Pensions, infrastructure key Berkeley budget liabilities (02.20.13)
Budget: Spending cuts needed to avoid shortfall (01.28.13)
Council supports Sunday Streets, looks to find funds (01.25.13)
Berkeley General Fund revenues may fall short in 2012-13 (12.12.12)
Average Berkeley street in at-risk condition, many worse (11.16.11)
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