Memorandum
City of Lawrence
Public Works
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TO: |
Mark Thiel, Assistant Director of Public Works |
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FROM: |
Steven M. Lashley, P.E., Project Engineer |
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CC: |
David P. Cronin, P.E., City Engineer Charles F. Soules, P.E., Director of Public Works |
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DATE: |
December 19, 2017 |
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RE: |
Supplemental Information in Response to Questions from Commissioner Boley on the Pavement Management Program Update & 2018 Comprehensive Street Maintenance Program - City Manager’s Report |
Questions about the Comparative Impact Graph
Q1: What is included in the “Street Maintenance Funding Level” as plotted on the graph? For example, is this only the Contracted Street Maintenance Program funding? Does it include in-house maintenance funding? Are there other components besides these two?
A1: The “Street Maintenance Funding Level” plotted on the graph represents the total spent for the respective “contracted” maintenance year. It does not include the “in-house maintenance funds” spent annually that ranges from $250,000 to $350,000 for asphalt and concrete materials.
Q2: Are costs for sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure and traffic calming included in the “Street Maintenance Funding Level”? If so, are they included for all years or just some years? And, if so, is it possible to pull those costs out in order (to) simply compare actual funding levels that impact the PCI scores?
A2: Incidental items such as sidewalks and ramps have been included in contracted maintenance projects where curb and gutter has been removed and replaced as part of that project for construction tie-ins to existing facilities. Existing pavement markings will be reestablished with a milling and overlay project and in several past project years, the reestablishment has included additional bicycle facilities such as bicycle lanes or shared lane use markings (sharrows) to follow recommendations by City staff after review of strategic plans. The annual cost for the added bicycle pavement marking varied from $10,000 to $35,000 each construction year. The last traffic calming installed under a contracted maintenance contract was in 2015 ($20,000 for two speed cushions). The dollars used for comparison are those dollars spent, including all incidental items, to achieve the completed maintenance rehabilitation of the street. These types of expenditures have no impact on the PCI or deterioration rates. For example, curb and gutter replacement is a major street maintenance work activity and a significant line item, but the work does not impact a street PCI score rating.
Q3: What is the “Overall Avg Deterioration Rate”?
A3: It is the overall average annual change in pavement condition index (PCI) of all rated streets that are comparable to past ratings. For example, a street rated in Cycle 4 is being directly compared to the PCI of the same comparable segment over the course of three prior cycle ratings to determine the deterioration rates (PCI points lost or gained per year) across those timelines and rating periods.
Q4: Why does the “Overall Avg Deterioration Rate” increase and decrease widely without significant impact on the PCI?
A4: Between 2005 and 2012, for example, there was an increased injection of funds into the contracted maintenance program as well as the incorporation of major CIP reconstruction projects. This injection directly impacted the deterioration rates moving from a negative number to a positive number thus displaying the City’s immediate shift to sustaining city streets in their current overall condition plus some eventual gains. The overall average PCI appears to lag slightly behind the overall average deterioration rate. Significant long-term change into a sustainable system requires continuous and increasing funding support due to a growing network of streets as well as inflationary construction costs.
Questions about the 2018 Street Maintenance Program & Funding
Q1: The only funding mentioned here is the 2018 Contracted Street Maintenance Program. Is this the only program that has an effect on the PCI scores?
A1: Street reconstruction and all other street maintenance activities will have some type of direct and/or long-term impact on PCI scores for the streets the work was performed. For example, curb and gutter replacement will not impact the PCI, but it will improve drainage conditions and carry the water off the pavement helping to reduce deterioration rate. The PCI rating is based on the visible surface condition of the street pavement such as potholes and cracks, for example.
Q2: If not, why isn’t information about the other program(s) and funding provided here?
A2: The primary focus of this program update is to provide information on the change in the overall street condition indicators such as the overall average PCI and overall average deterioration rate along with providing the plan of contracted maintenance activities for 2018. The various CIP projects and internal street maintenance division work locations have been reflected on the “Comprehensive Street Maintenance Program” map to provide an overall outlook to street maintenance activities and other significant construction work locations in 2018 as a compilation reference source.
Q3: How much is budgeted for in-house street maintenance?
A3: In 2018 budget, $250,000 in asphalt and concrete material costs has been identified for internal street maintenance.
Questions about the 2018 Street Maintenance Program & Funding
Q1: Does the Public Works Department have a Sidewalk Condition Index, a Bikeways Condition Index, and a Traffic Calming Index? If so, would it be possible to graph the impact of funding these projects with the improvements in their respective indices?
A1: The City does not have Condition Indices for Sidewalk, Bikeways, or Traffic Calming. In 2016, a sidewalk inspection was performed for all public sidewalks.
Q2: Is there a Construction Cost Index that could be plotted on the graph?
A2: We do not currently have a Street Construction Cost Index available for this region. However, the City does utilize Computed Monthly Asphalt Material Index on contracts that include asphalt. The index is provided from the Kansas Department of Transportation website. It is used for payment on asphaltic material tonnage when there are fluctuations in asphalt (AC) oil prices through the course of a project. Price adjustments are applied either as an increase or a decrease with a $10 asphalt oil per ton incremental change equaling a $.50 per ton change for asphalt mix. In 2005, a ton of asphalt cost approximately $35 per ton and approximately $65 per ton in 2017.
Q3: Are there other costs that present challenges to maintain overall street condition progress levels with a result of fewer annual street maintenance projects, such as the expenditure of a million dollars more than the data indicated was needed in the Kasold Street reconstruction project? If so, why aren’t they also mentioned in these recommendations?
A3: The overall goal for an effective “Street Maintenance Program” is the ability to sustain the City’s street network in a maintainable condition. Factors that impact the success of sustaining streets in a good condition include the appropriate balance of preventative maintenance activities, minor to major maintenance rehabilitation projects, and street reconstructions in conjunction with funding support. For preventative maintenance and rehabs, the goal is to cost-effectively delay the inevitable and more expensive reconstruction costs. At some point, the life cycle of a street pavement will reach a point where mill, overlay, and patching rehabilitation work will no longer be cost-effective and reconstruction is the right decision for long term success of the program.