July 27, 2007

D8CRT discusses local transportation maintenance needs

San Jose pavement condition ranks lowest in county

By Bonnie Mace
Special to the Times

The quality of San Jose’s street system is in a significant state of decline, according to Department of Transportation officials who attended the District 8 Community Roundtable’s July meeting at the Evergreen Branch Library.

As part of the city’s community outreach, Department of Transportation (DOT) planners spoke to about 30 residents at the D8CRT meeting to get input on the city’s Transportation Maintenance Master Plan project in light of the funding woes San Jose is currently facing. About 30 residents attended the D8CRT meeting, providing their feedback about neighborhood transportation maintenance needs and possible solutions.

According to DOT official Tom Ferguson, San Jose’s overall pavement condition ranks the lowest of all the cities in Santa Clara County. An investment of nearly $460 million is needed to return the city’s street infrastructure to good condition.

Once the city’s street infrastructure is returned to good condition, it will require an additional $23 – $29 million over the current annual budget allocation to properly maintain the street system in San Jose.

Since the city does not have enough money to cover its transportation maintenance needs, DOT officials are visiting community groups such as the D8CRT to assess residents’ funding priorities and find alternative funding sources. This entails asking residents to rate the condition of transportation maintenance in their neighborhoods and to determine where the city of San Jose should focus its time and money.

After the DOT presentation, D8CRT audience members discussed their concerns regarding transportation maintenance issues in San Jose. District 8 resident Lan Nguyen asked for a breakdown of transportation maintenance needs in District 8.

Ferguson did not have a full breakdown, but said that of the approximately 517 miles of San Jose streets in poor condition, about 30 of those miles are in District 8, which would cost $15 – $20 million to repair. He noted that District 8 is in relatively better shape than other districts in terms of street maintenance, since many of the streets in District 8 are new compared to the older areas of San Jose.

District 8 resident Ike White asked how the DOT prioritizes street repairs. DOT official Kevin O’Connor said his department maintains a comprehensive database of transportation infrastructure and looks at the long-term maintenance of the system in prioritizing its spending.

Several residents inquired whether the city could forge new partnerships with outside agencies to solve funding needs. Ferguson said the city does partner with outside agencies, such as Our City Forest, which helps provide street trees to San Jose property owners.

The city also partners with VTA and MTC to get funding for pavement repairs in San Jose. In response to queries about how residents can log complaints regarding transportation maintenance issues, Ferguson said residents could contact DOT via e-mail or phone.

The City Council will vote on its Transportation Maintenance Master Plan project in the next few months. For more information regarding upcoming community meetings, contact the DOT via e-mail at streetmaintneeds@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at (408) 535-3844.

The city of San Jose also has a survey dealing with neighborhood street maintenance needs available online on the city’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/transportation.

The next District 8 Community Round Table meeting will be held on Aug. 14 at the Evergreen Branch Library, from 7 – 9 p.m. For more details on the D8CRT, visit the Yahoo User Group site at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D8C_RoundTable/

Bonnie Mace is a D8CRT officer.