In early January, the Department of Transportation and Public Works updated the County’s 2014 Long Term Roads Plan. The current update (Summary Report) highlights accomplishments of the Pavement Preservation Program since the Board began increasing local funding contributions in 2012. This change in direction was largely in response to Save Our Sonoma Roads efforts that begin in autumn 2011.

The Department’s map depicts the completed and planned segments of its Pavement Preservation Program between 2012 – 2023 (Map of Preservation Completed and Planned). At this time 412 miles have been refurbished which will increase to 456 miles by 2023 (Pavement Preservation Cumulative Totals).

During this period Sonoma County’s overall pavement condition index has improved from 44 to 52 (County Overall Pavement Condition).  The major collector roads have improved from 73 to 79, and the minor collector roads from 46 to 55 (Annual Pavement Condition by Functional Class).  Local roads still have a long way to go, but have improved from 34 to 39.

Sonoma County apparently contributes more of its general fund to pavement preservation than any other county in California (General Fund Contributions by County). 

The Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works has released a Draft Project Schedule that designates which pavement preservation projects will be undertaken in 2020, and which projects will be undertaken in 2021. Among the projects to be completed in the 2020 construction season are portions of the following roads:

  • Adobe Road
  • Porter Creek Road
  • Chiquita Road
  • Stony Point Road
  • Grange Road
  • Bohemian Highway
  • Todd Road

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 - https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Services/SoCo-Report-It/Submit-a-Service-Request/. 

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.

More Articles ...

  1. Pavement Preservation Projects for 2018 and 2019
  2. Sonoma County Gazette OpEd
  3. Proposed Sonoma County 2017 Road Plan
  4. Sonoma County’s Roads Continue to Rank Worst in Bay Area
  5. Close to Home: Roads should be high budget priority for Sonoma County
  6. National Organization Finds Santa Rosa Has Nation’s Third Worst Roads for a Medium-Sized City.
  7. Street Fight
  8. The True Cost of Deficient Roadways (September 2014)
  9. Long Term Road Plan (October 2014)
  10. Road Needs Assessment
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