LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Getting the Word Out About Road Work


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Volunteers going to door to door, a dedicated website and a Facebook page are all part of Public Works Director Edric Kwan's planned campaign to inform Moraga residents about this summer's road repairs which, although so badly needed that voters agreed to increase the sales tax to fund them, are likely to be a bit inconvenient at times.

Kwan presented his outreach plan to the Town Council on June 12. "The nature of road construction is hard, because it is disruptive, but we are focusing on maximizing the use of taxpayer money and keeping people informed of our plans," he said.

"We plan to start construction in July and finish at the end of September if all goes according to plan," said Kwan. "September is the ideal time of year, as far as temperature is concerned, for the seal treatments."

Recent months have been dedicated to detailed data collection on the state of neighborhood streets in order to determine which streets will benefit most from this first phase of road renovation. "We will fix and protect those streets that are in relatively good condition today," explained Kwan. "The investment we are making will keep these roads at a high level of service for a long time for a relatively low investment. Next year, the paving campaign will start addressing the streets that need more work."

Sections of roads that have failed will be removed and the area repaired before seals are applied. This summer, "half of all the neighborhood streets will get either a rubberized cape seal or micro-seal," added Kwan.

A team of volunteers may knock on your door to tell you what's going on with your street. "Each team will be led by a subject matter expert, someone from the design team, the construction management team or staff. We will be out there to respond to any questions regarding what is happening with the streets."

The outreach effort will include a dedicated website and a Facebook page where you can see what work is in progress. "We will have a test strip demonstration for council members and the public to look at," said Kwan. "We will also put out notifications to all impacted residents."

Signs proudly proclaiming "Your Measure K Dollars at Work" will be displayed at worksites and on contractors' equipment. "We will also have lawn signs available that say 'Shop Moraga First,'" he added, "because it is important for us to recognize that it is the money from the sales tax collected in Moraga that is going to finance this project."