ROADWAY PROJECTS

TBD Project Rank: 1 - Street Overlay / Resurfacing

The map below (click here for PDF version) depicts those street segments in Edmonds (marked in orange) that are in the worst condition and therefore most in need of paving. These streets rated either 4 or 5 on a five-point scale with condition descriptors of "Poor" or "Severe". This amounts to approximately 1/3 of our total street system. It is the intent of the City to pursue paving projects on these streets to improve their condition with half of the new revenue generated by the $40 annual increase in the TBD Local User Fee. The map also depicts a number of streets that will be paved in 2011 using Water Utility funds as mitigation for street damage caused by replacement of the water main in each street (blue street segments). There are also several locations (blue with red zigzag) where streets are rated 4 or 5 and we will be replacing the water main in 2011. On those streets there will be a shared funding to complete the maintenance paving overlay.

Click here to download PDF of the map

How big is the street overlay need?

The city street network consists of 133 center-line miles of city-owned streets. To have a sustainable system, i.e. one that is of stable quality and not getting worse each year, would require us to pave our arterial streets approximately every 15-20 years and our residential streets every 25-35 years. This would require an annual investment of approximately $1.5 million in paving projects alone. Adding in maintenance costs of approximately $1.5 million as well would mean we need to provide a total of approximately $3.0 million annually (in 2010 dollars) to achieve sustainability. The dollars to support this would need to come from our existing revenue sources like gas taxes ($750,000) and the first $20 of TBD fees ($580,000). The rest of the needed funding (Approx. $1.7 million) would need to be provided by the City's General Fund or a new source of revenue. It is not realistic to expect the City's General Fund contribution to streets to grow to this level, particularly in this depressed economy. That is why a new revenue source is needed.

 

Why is the City so far behind in street paving?

We are behind because the City has not been able to afford adequate maintenance paving for over ten years. This has resulted in a street condition rating that continues to drop over time and the rate of that decline is also increasing.