Larkspur stands out in Bay Area pavement report

Larkspur, where roads historically ranked among the worst in the Bay Area, now boasts the most pristine pavement in the nine-county region, according to a report by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

The commission, a regional planning and funding agency, scores roads in all Bay Area counties each year based on the number of cracks, potholes, patching, rutting and depressions they have. The report, known as a pavement condition index, rates the roads on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being a newly paved road.

“Larkspur is such an outstanding example of what is possible,” said John Goodwin, spokesperson for MTC. “Not so long ago, Larkspur lagged, and now they are one of the leaders.”

Improving nine points in 2022, Larkspur’s year-over-year score jumped from 76, which is considered “good,” to an 85, or “very good.”

In 2021, Larkspur advanced 11 points, becoming the only municipality to outpace Oakland’s year-over-year improvement.

It’s a vast improvement from when the commission called out the city with a score of 42, or “poor,” in 2017.

It’s all thanks to voter approval of tax measures to rehabilitate the city’s network, said Julian Skinner, Larkspur’s director of public works.

City officials went to the voters in 2013 to approve Measure C to repair roads. Then, with the approval of 2017’s Measure B, the city issued about $25 million in bonds with a promise to complete the job over a five-year period.

“We have paved all 25 miles of streets in the five-year program except for three that are delayed due to pending PG&E work,” Skinner said.

A section of Shady Lane is under construction now, and the other two sections of road are Monte Vista Avenue and King Street, which are tentatively set for paving next summer.

After spending about $5 million annually on pavement projects for the past five years, that spending is looking to decrease to about $1 million a year, Skinner said.

“The goal is for us to remain in the ‘good’ or ‘very good’ category,” Skinner said.

Collectively, Marin County roads had a score last year of 66, which is considered “fair” and indicates roads are at significant risk of breaking down. The county has received the same score since 2018.

This year, Marin County is fourth from last. Napa County registered the worst three-year blended average rating of 54. Sonoma County scored 56, and Solano County a 65.

For the seventh straight year, the Bay Area region recorded a 67, which underscores the continuing challenges facing public works departments across the nine counties, according the MTC officials.

“The new pavement data continues to be a mixed bag,” said Alfredo Pedroza, MTC chair and a Napa County supervisor.

“The lack of progress toward our goal of bringing all the Bay Area’s streets and roads into a state of good repair is frustrating,” Pedroza said. “At the same time, we’re encouraged that our counties and cities have been able to prevent large-scale deterioration. And the dramatic improvements seen in some of our communities, particularly those where where voters have approved local taxes for street rehabilitation, show us it’s a goal that can be reached.”

The scores noted on the report are a three-year moving average. The data is presented this way to avoid major peaks and valleys in ratings for smaller communities, such as Ross or Belvedere.

Even with Larkspur’s big push over the past few years, the city’s blended three-year average is now a 75, which is in the good category, ranging from scores of 70 to 79.

Joining Larkspur in the category are Ross, Tiburon, Mill Valley and Belvedere.

In the “fair” category, scores 60 to 69, are San Anselmo, Corte Madera, Novato, San Rafael and unincorporated Marin.

San Rafael’s blended average has slipped from 65 the past few years to a 63.

The city spends about $1 million to $2 million annually on road pavement projects, said Angela Robinson Piñon, assistant city manager.

The city spent approximately $2.5 million toward road resurfacing this year, which includes projects in the Canal neighborhood, North San Rafael and the Third Street Rehabilitation project, she said.

“The city is developing a multiyear pavement maintenance plan that considers current road conditions and funding available for road maintenance and rehabilitation projects,” she said. The plan will include an equity analysis to help the city prioritize projects.

Sausalito at 59 and Fairfax at 55 posted the worst scores for Marin, and are labeled at risk.

Fairfax Mayor Chance Cutrano said the town has made several improvements, which may not yet be reflected in the reporting.

The town has hired a public works director and approved a $5.8 million capital improvement budget to tackle storm drain and road paving projects.

“It’s definitely been a warning sign for a little while now that we need to do more,” Cutrano said. “I think there’s a commitment from the council to continue to move in the right direction on the road pavement and maintenance.”

Marin road scores

Road quality scores for Marin County jurisdictions in 2021. Scoring is as follows: failed, 0-24; poor, 25-49; at risk, 50-59; fair, 60-69; good, 70-79; very good, 80-89; excellent: 90-100.

Marin County (aggregate): 66
Belvedere: 70
Corte Madera: 66
Fairfax: 55
Larkspur: 75
Mill Valley: 73
Novato: 66
Ross: 77
San Anselmo: 68
San Rafael: 63
Sausalito: 59
Tiburon: 74
Unincorporated Marin: 66

Source: Metropolitan Transportation Commission Pavement Condition Index 2022