Community Corner

Berkeley's Roads Need Repair, Report States

The condition of Berkeley's roads are only "fair" at best, according to data released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Berkeley's roads are in worse condition than most in the Bay Area, according to a recent report.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's report, titled The Pothole Report: Can the Bay Area Have Better Roads?, gives Berkeley a score of 60 out of a possible 100 for its 2010 pavement condition index (PCI). The MTC determines that 60 points is the threshold at which deterioration accelerates rapidly and the need for major rehabilitation increases.

Region-wide, the Bay Area scored 66 points out of 100. The report concludes that the condition of the 42,500 lane-miles of local streets in the Bay Area are "only fair at best," with serious wear and impending need for improvement. The results are the same as the 2009 reading, and within two points of readings going back to 2006. This leaves the region "mired in a mediocre-quality range," according to the MTC.

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While well-maintained pavements could help the Bay Area meet state environmental targets by increasing fuel economy, the report adds that the task of improving the region's roads "is more daunting — and more expensive — than ever."

Bringing Bay Area roads up to a "good" rating of 75 points or more would require $25 billion through 2035 — a cost that is three times higher than the current $351 million spent annually on road maintenance. 

Find out what's happening in Berkeleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The deterioration of a road begins with the daily impact from vehicles — particularly heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses — which eventually causes surfaces to crack. Water leaks through the cracks and erodes pavement strength, eventually causing interconnected networks of cracks known as "alligator cracking." These deep crevices are the culprits behind potholes.

Some of the best roads in the Bay Area were in Brentwood, Belvedere, Dublin, Los Altos and Foster City — each with a "very good" score above 81 points. The worst areas were in Rio Vista, Larkspur, Sonoma county, St. Helena and Orinda, with "poor" scores in the 40 point range. 

The Pothole Report also calls for what MTC calls a "Complete Streets" approach to road renovation, which encourages better access and use for pedestrians, bicyclists and bus riders as well as drivers.

Are there potholes in your neighborhood? Tell us in the comments.


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