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Pothole Report: Alameda's Roads in Fair Condition
The city's overall grade for road repair is on par with the rest of the Bay Area, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
The city of Alameda's roads are in fair condition and in need of repair, according to a recent Metropolitan Transportation Commission report.
Alameda scored 66 out of a possible 100 for its 2010 pavement condition index (PCI), earning it the"fair" assessment of cities which scored in the 60-69 point range. According to The Pothole Report, "Pavements at the low end of this range have significant levels of distress and may require a combination of rehabilitation and preventive maintenance to keep them from deteriorating rapidly."
Some of the best roads in the Bay Area, according to the study, are 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, all with "poor" scores in the 40-range.
The Bay Area's overall score as a region was also 66, and 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 report.
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, MTC estimates, require $25 billion through 2035 — a cost that is three times higher than the current $351 million spent annually on road maintenance.
The deterioration of a road begins with the daily impact from vehicles —particularly heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses — that 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.
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.
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Michael
6:33 am on Friday, June 24, 2011
The sidewalks are in horrible shape. The ones in my neighborhood are broken, uneven and patched with asphalt. Some people have started walking in the roadway because the sidewalks are a hazard.
joel
10:34 am on Saturday, June 25, 2011
Michael ;
Writte a short , polite , description , exact adress of the sidewalk in question date and signed , walk to City hall , go to the City Attorney office ask to speak to a City Attorney {bunch of them playing backgamon} introduce yourself , ask for their business card , hand them the note with the maguical sentence , you have been served , I am no longer liable as of this moment should anyone get hurt coming in and out of my residence or falling obn the sidewalk .
Thanks that person very much and walk away without any other comment.
There are 2 standard in Alameda the one for You and Me which involve lawyers , and the other for City employees , not too long ago one of them bought a house near by ,
before moving in the entire sidewalk was replaced at their property line of that City Employee , less than 4 feet away at the most there was a hole , yes a hole about 12" x 12" , they only had to put a bucket of concrete to patch it , did they no , left and leave the hole . and we have dozen of kids walking tom school everyday , they are all in for themselves not us the taxpayers .
Alana Dill
8:52 am on Friday, June 24, 2011
I've heard that the Nimitz Freeway is one of the worst in the nation, and I believe it. That incredible mess between Jackson and High Streets - where I've seen cars go airborne over bumps and crevices in the pavement - must be repaired before someone gets killed. If that hasn't happened already.
Several of my friends have gotten really lost trying to find us. (One was a physicist without a gps - bad news). I think the greatest drawback to living/ working/ visiting in Alameda is the lack of accessibility and clear signage in Oakland. I wonder if Alameda and Oakland have a liaison to improve this situation? For instance, exiting at the High Street southbound off-ramp, the sign designating High itself is quite small, and there's a hard right directing folks to downtown Alameda - where they may actually want to access BFI. Since Fernside curves around, running both perpendicular and parallel to High, one can get really confused without a map.
Finding Alameda from 23rd, 16th, Fruitvale, and Webster (where the streets tend to go one-way) is problematic as well. Who knows how much business this town has lost because we're tough to access? Large, clear signage in key places would be a smart investment (though admittedly not to Oakland's advantage)
If you want Alameda to stay hidden, consider how much trouble we're having with funding for essentials like schools, pothole repair, street tree maintenance, parks/rec, the animal shelter... it's all related.
a94501er
1:23 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011
Huh? Getting lost to Alameda? What is this? Circa 1990 without cellphones? The signs are not perfect, but they are there and do a reasonable job.
The High St mess will get sorted out when the 880 construction is completed.
joel
10:12 am on Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sorry Alana , anyone that get confused driving on Fernside should not have a driver's licence , coming into Alameda is posted before each exit on every street leading to the Island something Caltrans corrected decades ago , now paying attention when driving will even lead the brightest physicist to Alameda , mayybe we should hire pilot car with bright led panel , follow me to Alameda ........
Alana Dill
1:35 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011
:-D I don't know about you, 94501er, but if I'm driving around lost, the last thing I should be doing is trying to talk on my cell phone (CRASH! oops. Sorry!).
Not everyone has gps. In another 20 years we'll all have clever little chips implanted in our brains, and then of course it will be a moot point.
joel
10:06 am on Saturday, June 25, 2011
GPS are like cell phone something you barrely need , nothing but an electronic leash. and a great way to clean out your wallet .
Jan Greene
2:19 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011
Alana, I totally agree about the signage. I've had many people get off at High Street and turn too soon, ending up at the Fruitvale Bridge and then totally confused about how to get back to High Street in Alameda. I always assumed it was because Alamedans liked being hidden. But you're right, the kind of economic development we're looking for isn't compatible with being cut off from the rest of the world. (there are no hidden messages buried in this comment, by the way...so please don't let it start a culture war)
Alameda Runners
11:21 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011
My first driving experiences in Alameda (visiting and driving) were rather ... amusing, as I seemingly got lost every time I crossed a bridge. After commuting around Alameda by bike for a while, however, I managed to figure out where in the world I was going.
Salena
8:38 pm on Monday, June 27, 2011
Did you know you can file a claim for damage (flat tire, bent hubcap, etc) due to neglect by the city. You must file within 6 months of the damage occurring.
After living in Alameda for 6 months, my car began to have engine noise. It turns out that the 3 inch piece of concrete gutter jutting upwards in front of my driveway damaged my oil pan. This caused the oil uptake to be screwed up which eventually damaged the engine. This occurred slowly over time but when we put the car on the rack you could see the dents in the oil pan.
At the time the damaged was determined the city posted notices on everyone's doors that they were going to be fixing a 1 block length of curb and sidewalk along Broadway. I spoke to one of the city workers outside and he told me that I could file a claim. I filed and included my estimate with a statement from the mechanic and pictures of the gutter. Unfortunately, I submitted just outside the 6 month time frame. As a result, the city attorney denied my initial claim and appeal.
Of course the city is going to do everything they can to not pay out. But if you file within the right timeframe you will most like receive payment.