Copper Thieves Target Street Lights

RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

SUISUN CITY, Calif. – Copper thieves are once again stripping street lights of their wiring in Suisun City, and the public’s help is needed to catch these criminals and safeguard our street lighting.

On April 17, the Police Department reported four street lights were not working on Railroad Avenue near Village Drive. When Public Works crews responded, they discovered the wiring had been cut and stolen from the conduit between the street lights, and found that additional lights also were affected.

Replacing street light wiring is both time-consuming and very expensive. The City does not have equipment necessary to rewire the lights so a private contractor must be hired, which is an unbudgeted expense.

For a period of more than a year, copper thieves have been stealing wiring from street lights on Walters Road and in the Peterson Ranch subdivision.

Residents should watch for unusual activity near street lights poles particularly during evening hours. Legitimate work on City street lights is normally conducted during the daytime by crews with vehicles and uniforms bearing the City emblem, PG&E logos, or a contractor employed by the City.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity is encouraged to immediately call the Police Department at 707-421-7373.

Pintail Drive Rehabilitation Project Construction Begins Tuesday

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - Construction work on the $500,000 Pintail Drive Rehabilitation Project is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, and continue through about mid-November, depending on weather conditions.

The work will include significant sidewalk and curb work, isolated road base repair, and complete roadway resurfacing of Pintail Drive from Sunset Avenue to Emperor Drive. Road base repair and crack sealing on Pintail Drive will extend from Emperor Drive to Walters Road.

To limit the impact to nearby residents, all work is to be conducted between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Work hours or times may be extended for construction conflicts or emergencies.

During the entire construction period, the contractor - Ghilotti Construction Co. - is required to maintain through traffic controls to allow traffic flow and bus service through the construction zone. However, some unavoidable traffic delays and detours are to be expected during the construction period.

Construction and Public Works officials are coordinating all work to minimize impact upon the Suisun City Library, Suisun Elementary School, the Suisun City Fire Department, and ongoing construction of the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

For more details on this project, go to www.suisun.com/pintail.html

Chyrl Way Rehabilitation Project Now Open for Bidding

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - During the current construction season, Chryl Way will see major improvement work ranging from new sewer mains and water service lines to an entirely new street surface, according to a project announcement released by the Suisun City Public Works Department.

The Chyrl Way Rehabilitation Project is another collaboration between Suisun City Public Works and Suisun-Solano Water Authority. The two agencies have coordinated major water service and street repair work for several years to minimize disruption to residents, and reduce costs of the work.

The project will remove the entire street surface on Chryl Way from Blossom Avenue to Humphrey Drive to allow the sewer mains and water service lines to be replaced. Once the underground work is complete, the roadway, including curbs, gutters and curb ramps, will be rebuilt.

Construction firms interested in the work have until July 28, 2011, to submit their bids. Officials expect the construction work to be underway by late summer.

For information on bidding for the project, please click here.

Pintail Drive Rehabilitation Project Opened for Bids

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - Pintail Drive will be completely resurfaced from Sunset Avenue to Walters Road under a notice to contractors issued by the Public Works Department.

Using a federal transportation grant, Suisun City officials plan to repave the one of the main arterial streets lacing together most of the city's neighborhoods, replace curbs and sidewalks, and install new access ramps at corners.

Any contractors interested in bidding on the work have until July 12, 2011, to submit bids.

The work is expected to take place later this summer.

>> Click here to see the bid documents or for more information >>

Pedestrian Safety Project Opened for Bidding

NEW HIGHWAY SIGNALS PART OF SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM

SUISUN CITY - As part of the City's ongoing commitment to enhance safe routes to local schools, the Public Works Department is seeking contractors qualified to install new pedestrian signals at three key intersections.

New pedestrian countdown signals will be installed at three frequently used surface crossings on Highway 12

• Marina Boulevard
• Sunset Avenue/Grizzly Island Road
• Lawler Ranch Parkway/Emperor Drive

The new signals, known as countdown signals, will indicate to pedestrians the amount of time they have remaining to cross Highway 12 before the traffic signals change.

These key intersections are commonly used by students to travel by foot or bicycle to various school campuses in Suisun City. Suisun City Public Works has coordinated the installation of the new signal devices with Caltrans.

The intention is to have the new signals up as soon as possible to enhance the safety of students returning to school in the fall.

>>Read more about the project and see bidding information>>

Suisun City Public Works Reissues Main Street Project Bid Announcement

SUISUN CITY — The Suisun City Public Works Department has re-issued the bid documents for the Main Street Rehabilitation Project that is expected to take place during the upcoming summer construction season.

The project, which has an estimated bonding value of $600,000, is funded by a grant through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The project entails making major repairs to Main Street from Solano Avenue to near Lotz Way. In areas where the subgrade has settled, pavement, curb, gutters and sidewalks will be replaced. When that work is completed, the entire street will receive a pavement overlay and new street markings.

The Main Street Rehabilitation Project follows the 2009 Sunset Avenue Rehabilitation Project in which the entire length of Sunset Avenue was resurfaced from Highway 12 to Railroad Avenue.

Public Works staff will coordinate construction scheduling carefully to minimize impacts to both Waterfront District businesses and nearby residents. A project page will be added to the Public Works website so everyone interested in the project can follow key developments.

For contractors, follow this link for more information.

Follow Suisun City on Twitter.

>>Read more about Suisun City's efforts to improve and maintain local streets>>

Suisun City Public Works Open Bidding for Main Street Rehab Project

SUISUN CITY — The Suisun City Public Works Department has released the bid documents for the Main Street Rehabiliation Project that is expected to take place during the upcoming summer construction season.

The project, which has an estimated bonding value of $600,000, is funded by a grant through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The project entails making major repairs to Main Street from Solano Avenue to near Lotz Way. In areas where the subgrade has settled, pavement, curb, gutters and sidewalks will be replaced. When that work is completed, the entire street will receive a pavement overlay and new street markings.

The Main Street Rehabilitation Project follows the 2009 Sunset Avenue Rehabilitation Project in which the entire length of Sunset Avenue was resurfaced from Highway 12 to Railroad Avenue.

Public Works staff will coordinate construction scheduling carefully to minimize impacts to both Waterfront District businesses and nearby residents. A project page will be added to the Public Works website so everyone interested in the project can follow key developments.

For contractors, follow this link for more information.

Follow Suisun City on Twitter.

>>Read more about Suisun City's efforts to improve and maintain local streets>>

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>>

Sandbags Now Available

SUISUN CITY - With forecasts of moderate to heavy rain starting this weekend, now is the time to make final preparations if your home is in an area prone to street flooding.

Two self-serve sandbag stations are located near the Fire Station on Pintail Avenue and behind City Hall near the Solano Yacht Club.  Bring a shovel to fill sandbags, but please don't take more than you need to make sure there are enough for all who need them.

Public Works crews have checked and cleared all the street drains and main storm drains. Check the roof drains on your home and on your property to ensure they are performing properly.  Remove any build up fallen leaves to ensure they don't clog your drains.

If you see any flooding situations, please stay clear and report them to the Public Safety dispatch center at 707-421-7373.

For maps and more information, please visit the weather link at www.suisun.com.

Sandbags & Pumps Deployed for Street Flooding

SUISUN CITY — Persistent heavy rainfall throughout the day filled the drainage ditches and systems that drain Suisun City streets. As the rain abates and the tides fall, the drains will catch up and localized flooding will subside.

Ditches along Humphrey Drive, Railroad Avenue and the northern stretch of Main Street were running at or over capacity by late Tuesday afternoon. As a result, street drains that feed into those ditches could not operate properly and streets across the City filled with water.

The Suisun City Public Works Department checked and cleared drains throughout the day. As the drainage systems reached capacity, pumps and sandbags were deployed to re-channel water gathering on local streets.

Public Works crews will remain on Flood Watch around the clock and respond to developing situations until weather conditions improve.

Two self-serve sandbag stations were deployed for residents to use 24 hours a day at

• Suisun City Fire Department
• Behind City Hall near the Solano Yacht Club
  • >> Click for map of sandbag stations>>

Suisun City urges residents to use extreme caution during this rain event. Drive carefully and stay away from drainage ditches.

For more information and tips to safeguard your property, visit the Suisun City Storm Watch page.

Slurry sealing starts Monday (Sept. 29)

The second phase of the $1.2 million 2008 Streets Improvement Project gets underway in earnest starting Monday morning (Sept. 29).

Crews with California Pavement Maintenance will apply the thick slurry seal to more than 1.4 million square feet of roadway covering 38 street segments across the City over six workdays, with typical work hours being 7:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

The streets that will receive slurry seal will be the same ones that were treated with the rubberized asphalt chip seal earlier this month. The slurry seal is the final, finish coat that will provide a smooth driving surface and cover the gravel 'chips' applied in the initial construction phase. >>Click here to see the schedule and maps!>>

By using the rubberized asphalt treatment in conjunction with the traditional slurry seal, the City was able to significantly upgrade some of the worst-rated streets in the City while extending their useful life by 10 to 15 years.

The process cost 15% of the traditional 'grind, remove and replace' approach while providing the same benefit. Because of the cost savings, Suisun City Public Works was able to improve many more streets than would otherwise have been possible. The vast majority of the funding for this entire project came from the state infrastructure bonds voters approved in recent years.

Plus, the rubberized asphalt process removed 11,219 used vehicle tires from the California waste stream! That's why the California Integrated Waste Management Board gave use a grant to help underwrite this project!

Streets Project Schedule Changes

Just a quick alert to note that the paving dates for the 2008 Streets Improvement Project have been updated.

Make sure to check the project page for the latest information.

The work is scheduled to start on Thursday Sept. 4, and continue on Friday Sept. 5, Monday Sept. 8 and Tuesday Sept. 9. Street sweeping work may happen on Saturday Sept. 6, as well. Click here for detailed street information and maps of the work areas.

The work was rescheduled by the contractor - International Surfacing Systems - due to scheduling and supply challenges. We are not anticipating further changes, but the situation is somewhat fluid.

If you live in an area subject to this work, check the City website for updates. Also remember, this work is the first phase with a slurry seal treatment planned for later this month. Details on that work will be posted as it becomes available.

$1.2 million in Street Improvements Hit High Gear Next Week

38 STREETS MOST IN NEED TO BE RESURFACED WITH DURABLE RUBBERIZED TREATMENT

SUISUN CITY — Some of the worst pavement in Suisun City will get a $1.2 million high-tech overhaul using rubberized asphalt starting on Thursday (Sept. 4).

A total of 38 street segments across the City will be resurfaced with a liquid rubber compound manufactured with a minimum of 15% waste vehicle tires then covered with a layer of rock chips. This treatment, which is being used in Suisun City for the first time, fills surface cracks to strengthen existing asphalt and to deter water from penetrating into the road base.

Crews began applying on Friday an additional microsurface treatment on Worley Road and Pheasant Drive, two streets that needed additional repair work. (The picture above was taken Friday at Worley Road and Philip Way.)

Application of the rubberized asphalt to all the targeted street segments is scheduled to take a week. About two weeks later, crews will return to apply a slurry seal over the rubberized asphalt, which will harden and cure into a smooth finished surface.

Using rubberized asphalt in combination with traditional slurry seal adds approximately a decade of useful street life. It also is more durable than traditional asphalt overlay and costs less per square foot, which allows the Public Works Department to resurface more streets than was previously possible.

“This is a significant upgrade to any repaving process we’ve used before,” said Acting Public Works Director Dan Kasperson. “It’s been a year of hard work to get to this point, and we are excited to be seeing the product of that effort showing up in Suisun City’s streets.”

The City Council approved the $1.2 million Streets Improvement Project in March, using a combination of funding from state Prop. 1B and Prop. 42, Solano Irrigation District, a California Integrated Waste Management Board grant and City General Fund. The 2008 project, which will expend about three times more than in 2007, was designed to address the ‘worst of the worst’ pavement conditions in the City.

Rubberized asphalt is a beneficial way to recycle and reuse waste vehicle tires, which pose a major waste management challenge across California. The Suisun City project is expected to use 10,500 waste tires from California.

The project was coordinated with the Suisun-Solano Water Agency to follow the water main replacement work conducted earlier this summer. Streets excavated during the water main work were backfilled and patched, and will receive a full new rubber asphalt surface.

Notices have been sent to residents of streets to be fixed, and parking restrictions will be posted at least 72 hours before work begins. Here's a link to the specific work schedule, including a map of the streets to be worked on each day.

New Sidewalk Provides Safe Route to Crystal Middle School

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT COMPLETES WORK IN TIME FOR CLASSES TO START

SUISUN CITY — Just in time for the start of school, students have an enhanced safe route to Crystal Middle School using a new Marina Boulevard walkway recently completed by the Suisun City Public Works Department.

The new walkway extends from Lotz Way to Driftwood Drive on the east side of Marina Boulevard providing students an inviting alternative to a dangerous crossing to the west side of Marina Boulevard. The pathway solves an immediate challenge while Public Works plans a $1.5 million bicycle and pedestrian route along the south side of Highway 12.

“The safety of our children getting to school is a top priority, and underlies our commitment to the Safe Routes to School Program,” said Suisun City Councilman Mike Segala, who along with Vice Mayor Jane Day, have represented the City on the school ad hoc committee. “We have worked diligently with our school district partners to provide the off-campus improvements"

“This pathway is a common sense alternative to allowing children to continue to cross Marina Boulevard at a dangerous location,” Segala said.

The Marina Boulevard pathway, setback from Marina Boulevard to provide maximum safety for students, includes a solid permeable surface that meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards while providing adequate drainage during the rainy season. New crosswalks were added at Driftwood Drive to indicate the safest location for students to cross Marina Boulevard.

Previously, students going to Crystal Middle School or returning home along Marina Boulevard south of Highway 12 would often cross at Lotz Way, an intersection with no crosswalks near a curve in the roadway that limits drivers’ sightlines.

The Suisun City Public Works Department will work with Crystal Middle School administrators to educate students walking and riding bicycles to school about the new safe route.

Earlier this year, Suisun City was awarded a $900,000 state Safe Routes to School grant for a pedestrian and bicycle trail from Grizzly Island Road to Driftwood Drive separated from traffic along Highway 12. “This project parallel to Highway 12 will provide a safe route to Crystal Middle School for students that live in Lawler Ranch,” said Segala.

The Public Works Department is working on additional grants to fund the entire $1.5 million project cost.

New overhead signs guide way in Suisun City

FINAL STREETS SIGNS INSTALLED

The Suisun City Public Works Department installed 23 new signal arm street signs this week at seven major intersections in the City as the final phase of the Citywide Street Sign Replacement Program.

>>Click on the photo at right to see a slideshow of the crew installing the first of the new overhead signs.>>

The $138,000 grant-funded program upgraded every street sign in the City with larger and more distinctive signs the provide a uniform appearance and function. The new signs include the Suisun City schooner design on a highly reflective blue background with white lettering. The old street signs had been installed as new neighborhoods were constructed, resulting in signs that were not always uniform in color and design. Many also badly damaged due to weather exposure or abuse over the years.

The new signs allow not only residents and visitors to more easily navigate the City's streets, but play a vital role in assisting police, fire and medical units responding to calls for emergency assistance.

As part of the replacement program, the Public Works Department offered the old street signs for sale at the "It's a June Thing" celebration and at the July 4th Celebration. The sale of the old signs garnered $3,000 that went right back into the City's Streets Program. The signs that did not sell were recycled, earning the program another $2,000.

We hope every resident and visitor enjoys the new street signs for years to come.

Major Safety Improvements Get Started

SUNSET AVENUE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE POPULAR ROADWAY &

RAIL CROSSING

Crews will restripe Sunset Avenue north of Railroad Avenue on Friday (July 18) in preparation for a six-month construction project to improve traffic flow on this major entrance to Suisun City and install new safety enhancements ordered by the City Council at the railroad crossing.

Working in partnership with the City of Fairfield, the Suisun City Public Works Department will oversee the installation of new synchronized traffic signals, additional traffic lanes, center medians and other roadway improvements. At the same time, a new 36-inch water line for the City of Fairfield will be installed to improve Fairfield’s water system.

The project will require traffic to be re-routed to one side of the roadway while work is performed on the other. Significant traffic delays of up to 25 minutes are anticipated.

Starting Monday, traffic lights on Sunset Avenue at East Travis Blvd. and Railroad Avenue will be set to require three-way stops. Drivers are urged to plan ahead or use alternate routes to avoid the construction zone.

Detailed information about the project and related traffic impacts is available at www.suisun.com.

Cordelia Road closed Thursday & Friday

PUBLIC WORKS CREWS TO CLOSE ROAD OVERNIGHT FOR MAJOR RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS

SUISUN CITY — Suisun City Public Works crews will temporarily close Cordelia Road at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing at about noon Thursday, June 26, for continued installation of major track and traffic improvements.

Cordelia Road is expected to be closed entirely from noon Thursday, June 26, until about 5 p.m. Friday, June 27, to allow Union Pacific crews to finish replacing the road’s railroad crossing as part of a major Union Pacific track improvement project.

Drivers are encouraged to avoid the Cordelia Road crossing entirely by using these alternate routes:

• Eastbound traffic on Cordelia Road should travel north on Pennsylvania Avenue, turn right onto Highway 12 and exit at Civic Center Boulevard (bearing right toward Main Street) to access the Suisun City Waterfront District.
• Westbound traffic should travel north on Main Street to westbound Highway 12 then turn left at Pennsylvania Avenue and right at Cordelia Road.

An interactive map showing alternate routes is available on the City's main web site.

Union Pacific is installing 40,000 new track ties and upgrading bridges between Suisun City and Martinez as second installment of a multi-year upgrade project between Sacramento and Oakland that will keep the railroad in good condition so trains can operate reliably.

The rail crossing will be replaced by Union Pacific with custom concrete and metal panels laid flush with the rails to ensure a smooth and consistent roadway for motorists. Suisun City Public Works will assist Union Pacific with this critical work.

The railroad improvement project is funded by Union Pacific.

Cordelia Road railroad crossing closures set for next week

PUBLIC WORKS WILL TEMPORARILY CLOSE ROAD TO ALLOW FOR MAJOR UPGRADE

SUISUN CITY — Suisun City Public Works crews will temporarily close Cordelia Road at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing next week to allow installation of major track and traffic improvements.

From Monday June 16 through Friday June 20, Cordelia Road will be subject to closure to all vehicle traffic to allow Union Pacific crews to replace the road’s entire railroad crossing as part of a major Union Pacific track improvement project.

Drivers are encouraged to avoid the Cordelia Road crossing entirely by using these alternate routes:

• Eastbound traffic on Cordelia Road should travel north on Pennsylvania Avenue, turn right onto Highway 12 and exit at Civic Center Boulevard (bearing right toward Main Street) to access the Suisun City Waterfront District.
• Westbound traffic should travel north on Main Street to westbound Highway 12 then turn left at Pennsylvania Avenue and right at Cordelia Road.

Click here for interactive map showing alternate routes.

Union Pacific is installing 40,000 new track ties and upgrading bridges between Suisun City and Martinez as second installment of a multi-year upgrade project between Sacramento and Oakland that will keep the railroad in good condition so trains can operate reliably.

The rail crossing will be replaced by Union Pacific with custom concrete and metal panels laid flush with the rails to ensure a smooth and consistent roadway for motorists. Suisun City Public Works will assist Union Pacific with this critical work.

The railroad improvement project is funded by Union Pacific.

Later this month, Union Pacific expects to close the Sunset Avenue crossing to conduct similar work. Residents should be aware that work is pending, and the City will issue advisories when specific dates and routes are determined.

2008 Street Resurfacing Project RFP released

The Suisun City Public Works Department has released for bids one of the most aggressive street resurfacing projects undertaken in Suisun City in several years.

The requests for proposal for the project is now available on the Public Works website. You can also click the headline of this article to get there or go to our homepage at www.suisun.com.

Depending on the results of the bidding, the City could resurface as many as 34 street segments across the City. By using a rubberized asphalt process rather than traditional grind and pave process, Public Works expects to really stretch the City's road improvement dollars.

Plus, the new process takes thousands of used automobile tires and reuses them as a durable road surface rather than send them off to landfills or other less green disposal processes.

The bids are due to be opened June 19, with work likely later this summer.

City Council Approves $1.2 million Streets Program

The City Council unanimously approved a $1.2 million street improvement program that will resurface 34 of the City's worst rated streets this summer.

The Public Works Department will use a new process that is significantly less expensive and more durable than traditional asphalt overlays to perform the work across the City. Officials targetted the streets with the lowest surface quality ratings - from 0 to 25 - to upgrade those streets in most serious need.

The resurfacing process uses recycled tires combined with a thinner layer of asphalt to create a water-tight, flexible and durable surface.

>>Click here for more on this expansive new program>>