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Roadway Management: Streets and Parking Lots
 Redwood
City uses a Roadway Management System (RMS) to maintain high quality streets,
while spending the least amount of money on the most effective treatments.
The typical asphalt road surface has a 20-year lifespan. If the road is not
periodically maintained over its life it will fail. The failed areas need to
have the entire asphalt and base material excavated and reconstructed prior
to repaving. Reconstructing a road costs 20 times the expense of regular maintenance
activities. In addition, an un-maintained road will experience considerable
degradation in the last four or five years before failure, creating an undesirable
roadway surface.
Redwood City’s RMS evaluates the needs and conditions of our streets
and prioritizes maintenance and repair activities. Implementation of this program
is a joint effort between the Streets and Parking Lots Maintenance Section
of the Public Works Services (PWS) Department and the City’s Engineering
and Construction Division. Planning, designing and building the roads are the
responsibility of the Engineering and Construction division, while PWS manages
the day-to-day maintenance and repair of the streets.
The RMS program utilizes a computerized Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating
system that was developed by the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission. The index creates a standard for measuring the
condition of existing roads. City streets are surveyed and a PCI rating is
determined based on the pavement defects present in a sample area on each street.
These defects include cracking, furrowing or rutting, potholes, and general
weathering. The resulting data determines the level of maintenance or repair
activities that will be required. The street repair work is prioritized and
scheduled. Although road conditions are regularly monitored, PCI ratings are
updated about every five years. Redwood City’s average PCI is “72”.
This indicates that our roadways on average are very good!
The next time you experience some inconvenience and perhaps feel a little frustrated
that City road crews are working in your neighborhood, remember that the City
is trying to make the best use of roadway management funds, while providing
you with the highest quality streets possible. Click
here for information on the three phases of a roadway resurfacing project.
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