Suisun City's Streets are Bay Area's 'Most Improved'

CITY'S $4.7 MILLION INVESTMENT IS SHOWING SIGNIFICANT RESULTS

SUISUN CITY – Suisun City had the ‘most improved’ street system of any Bay Area city in 2009, according to the annual road maintenance assessment released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission this week.

Suisun City’s pavement condition index improved by 20 points in 2009, and was the highest single-year jump of any Bay Area city or county in 2009, earning Suisun City the MTC’s Most Improved Award. The single year improvement pushed the City’s rating to 68, the highest since 2001, and moves the overall condition of the City’s streets from ‘at risk’ to ‘fair.’ (The top of the index is 100.)

However, the index increase does not include the completion of the Sunset Avenue rehabilitation project or the 2009 street maintenance project. The impact of those projects will be seen in the 2010 rating.

The 20-point improvement pushed Suisun City’s three-year average score also up by 5 points to 55. Solano County was the only other local agency to post an increase in 2009.

“For comparison purposes across the Bay Area, MTC uses the three-year average rating of 55,” said City Manager Suzanne Bragdon. “But given the incredible improvements we’ve made to our streets in the last three years, the three-year average doesn’t tell the true story. Our residents have a right to know that our rating today is 68. This Spring, it will jump even higher.”

The improved score is the result of the City Council’s commitment of significant resources to improve the City’s road conditions. Since 2005, the City has invested $4.7 million into street improvements through the annual summer street maintenance program, special projects and a partnership with the Solano Irrigation District to coordinate water main replacements. The result has been resurfacing of 36 miles of streets, or 50% of the citywide total.

Another $1 million of street work is already planned for 2010.

In 2008, Public Works began using the rubberized asphalt process. Cheaper and more durable than a traditional asphalt overlay, the process has allowed Suisun City to resurface more than 60 of the City’s worst street segments and extend their life by at least 10 years.

>>See the MTC Press Release>>