| | Published March 26th, 2014
| Orinda City Leaders Pave Way for 2015 Road Improvements
| | By Laurie Snyder | | |
In consultation with city staff, following a review of Orinda's most recent StreetSaver assessments, the Orinda Citizens' Infrastructure Oversight Commission recently recommended its list of roads to be repaired under the Fiscal Year 2015 Pavement Reconstruction Project. That list was given to the Orinda City Council at its March 18 meeting, along with the CIOC's annual report regarding commission activities and "the state of Orinda's roads; the on-going pavement management program; the Measure L Sales Tax" and "remaining infrastructure issues still facing the City of Orinda."
Four parts of two roads will receive help in 2015: St. Stephen's from the north side of the Highway 24 overpass to La Espiral and Overhill Road from Westwood to Highland courts, from Westwood to Moraga Way and Highland to Broadview Terrace. "St. Stephen's needs a lot of help; that's a big project," said Chuck Swanson, public works director. The thoroughfare missed past lists because the city was faced with the choice of fixing the largest number of streets possible or expending limited funds on just one big road. The current projected cost of more than $1 million for the four-segment repair is likely to change as engineering estimates are refined.
Funded through Gas Tax and Contra Costa County Sales Tax Return to Source funds (formerly labeled "Measure J funds"), the pavement reconstruction project fixes base failures and rebuilds arterials, collectors and school routes - streets in Orinda with the highest traffic volume. Staff typically do as much preventive maintenance as possible with the funds allowed to be used for this purpose.
The annual CIOC report was prepared by Richard Nelson and Darlene Gee, and presented by Dennis Fay. "The key focus of the CIOC efforts in 2013 was related to developing policies and selection criteria for using the Measure L Sales Tax dollars ... The CIOC also selected initial road segments to be repaired in 2014 with the Measure L funds" and reviewed a "drainage facility maintenance ordinance and planned drainage studies" in order to "further incorporate drainage considerations into future repairs once more data is available in 2014."
Fay noted that the number of very poor or poor arterial and collector segments was reduced from 43 in April 2009 to just 19 as of Dec. 31, 2012. CIOC members now project that Orinda will finish those repairs by 2018 without using Measure L funds. Those dollars can, therefore, be used residentially. This is vital since more than 130 residential segments are now classified as very poor.
Following deliberation, the City Council unanimously approved the 2015 pavement reconstruction project list and authorized staff to begin preparing contract plans, specifications and engineering estimates. In addition to bringing its annual report back to the City Council at a future meeting, the CIOC will present the list of roads to be repaired under Measure L sometime in April.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA