The Sonoma County Transportation Authority is in the process of developing a proposal for a ballot measure to extend the current Measure M quarter-cent sales tax. The 2004 Expenditure Plan allocated 20% for pavement improvements on local roads. The funding of Highway 101 in Sonoma County is now complete, so the new plan can provide much more funding for local roads. 

Three years ago, the 2017 SCTA Strawman Expenditure Plan was contemplating 70% for local roads. The current 2020 SCTA Strawman Expenditure Plan allocates only 40% to local roads, despite strong support in the polls (see the 2020 Voter Survey) for fixing local roads and streets.

The Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department has recently issued its lists of proposed pavement preservation projects for the 2020 and 2021 construction seasons. The supervisors will consider approving these on Tuesday, May 21.  The funds for these projects were allocated in part as the result of advocacy by SOSroads and its members.

To see the two-page “Planned Pavement Projects 2020 and 2021,” including road names and locations, pavement treatments, cost and other information, click here.

Note that only portions of most listed roads are planned for pavement improvement, not the entire lengths of the roads. Among the portions of roads that are tentatively included for improvement are the following:

  • District 1:  Arnold Drive, Grange Road, Grove Street, Hyde Road, Porter Creek Road.
  • District 2:  Adobe Road, Hessel Road, Tomales Road, West Railroad Avenue.
  • District 3:  East Cotati Avenue.
  • District 4:  Chiquita Road, Fitch Mountain Road, Lambert Drive, Ursuline Road.
  • District 5:  Barnett Valley Road, Bloomfield Road, Bohemian Highway, Gold Ridge Road, Rio Nido Road, Stony Point Road, Todd Road.

Be sure to review the entire list of roads.

And here is a map of the planned projects.

Please report Potholes and other road issues to Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works via their reporting tool: SoCoReportIt. You can report road issues and a variety of other issues to the county. Smartphone Apps are also available to ease the reporting process.  We've actually seen repairs and other short term fixes made after the issue was reported through this tool. Give it a try.

A study published by TRIP—a national nonprofit transportation research group—found that San Francisco Bay Area roads are the worst in the state and are deteriorating.

TRIP also found that poor road conditions increase vehicle operating costs by about $1,000 per year. About 71 percent of paved roads in the San Francisco-Oakland area are ranked as being in “poor” condition.

The report noted that the recent approval by the Legislature of SB1, a gas tax to create $5.2 billion annually for road and other infrastructure improvements, might be repealed by Proposition 6 on the November ballot.

The report concludes “If California is unable to maintain its current level of transportation investment, the cost to the public of deficient roads, traffic congestion, and a lack of adequate roadway safety will increase and economic development opportunities and quality of life in the Golden State will be diminished.”

You can read the full report here.

This report (Click Here), updated to the final version on June 11, 2018, was funded by the Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department and provides information on the current status of the 1,357 miles of pavement on county roads. Half of the road network is surveyed each year.

Currently, about 33% of the county road system is good or very good; 11% is fair; 26% is poor; and 30% is very poor or failed.

By functional classification, arterials are in the best shape (pavement condition index 79); major collectors have a PCI of 71; minor collectors a PCI of 49; and residential roads a PCI of 33.  Residential roads account for almost 58% of the county road system, and SOSroads members already know they are in the worst condition.

The countywide PCI has fallen from a recent high of 51 (2015) to 48, but it is still well above the PCI of 43 when SOSroads began in 2011. The recent decline may be attributed to the severe winter storms in 2016-2017.

The recommended budget scenario would improve the countywide PCI to 53 within five years, and will require an investment of about $250 million.

The Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department has recently issued lists of planned pavement projects for the 2018 and 2019 construction seasons with tentative start dates. The funds for these projects were allocated in part as the result of advocacy by SOSroads and its members.

To see the three-page “Planned Pavement Projects 2018 and 2019,” including road names and locations, pavement treatments, and tentative construction starting dates, click here.

Note that only portions of most listed roads are planned for pavement improvement, not the entire lengths of the roads. Among the portions of roads that are tentatively included for improvement this year (2018) are the following:

  • April 2018: Bodega Highway and River Road.
  • May 2018: Bohemian Highway, Grove Street, and River Road.
  • June 2018: Austin Creek Road, Canfield Road, Franz Valley School Road, West Dry Creek Road, and Willowside Road.
  • August 2018: Crane Canyon Road, Grange Road, Middle Two Rock Road, and Sonoma Mountain Road.

Be sure to review the entire list of roads. 

The Sonoma County Department of Transportation of Public Works has proposed a list of roads to be improved during the 2017 construction season. The board of supervisors will consider approving the list at its meeting on Tuesday, June 14. The funds for these improvements were allocated in part as the result of advocacy by SOSroads and its members. To see the proposed plan, click here (pp. 8-9 contain a map and the list of roads).

Among the roads that are proposed to be improved are Lakeville, Adobe, Napa, Petaluma Hill, River, Occidental, Mark West Springs, Lytton Springs, and Dutcher Creek. 

More Articles ...

  1. Sonoma County’s Roads Continue to Rank Worst in Bay Area
  2. Close to Home: Roads should be high budget priority for Sonoma County
  3. National Organization Finds Santa Rosa Has Nation’s Third Worst Roads for a Medium-Sized City.
  4. Street Fight
  5. The True Cost of Deficient Roadways (September 2014)
  6. Long Term Road Plan (October 2014)
  7. Road Needs Assessment
  8. Pavement Condition Index Report for Sonoma Co. Roads
  9. Supervisors Vote on 1/4 Cent Sales Tax for Roads
  10. Proposed Funding Plan for Long-Term Road Plan
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