San Francisco plans to improve road conditions by repaving 500 blocks over the next year, Mayor London Breed announced.
This is the continuation of a 10-year commitment to road maintenance, said Beth Rubenstein, San Francisco Public Works deputy director of policy and communications.
The city has not finalized which streets will be repaved. However, several streets under consideration are Golden Gate Avenue, Junipero Serra Boulevard, Mariposa Street, Bryant Street, Shafter Avenue and Vallejo Street, according to the mayor’s office.
Some of the resurfacing projects began July 5 at the start of the fiscal year, Rubenstein said. The duration of each project will depend on the condition of the road and other factors like weather.
Many of the projects will involve micro surfacing — placing a thin protective coat on roads that have the beginnings of problems like water incursion or potholes — which only takes a few days. Other streets that need more work may take a few weeks, Rubenstein said.
Aside from normal wear and tear, roads were “hit hard by potholes this past winter with the incessant rains,” San Francisco Public Works interim director Carla Short said in a statement. She said the proactive paving is important to keep roads in good shape, which reduces the chance of potholes forming.
The Street Resurfacing Program Team, part of the Public Works department, selects blocks with several considerations: geographical equity, roadway condition, use — streets with public transit and bike lanes are prioritized — and whether the paving project can be combined with other infrastructure projects, like sewer upgrades, to minimize disruption to residents and businesses.
The resurfacing projects will be funded by about $77.3 million in local and state sources, including vehicle registration fees and revenue from gas and sales taxes, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.