Frequently Asked Questions

This depends on many factors, including the following:

• Funding requirements:  Some funding sources can only be used in certain areas or on certain streets (i.e. on Federal Aid System streets, on streets within US Census Bureau Census Tracts, etc.), and when those funds are used for projects, streets are selected accordingly based on the requirements of the funding source.
• High-Priority Repairs:  Streets may be prioritized where recognized problems exist (i.e. failed culverts, structural problems, etc.) that could potentially endanger the travelling public.
• Upcoming utility projects:  Street repair is prioritized such that areas that are slated for underground utility work are not be repaired until AFTER the utility work is completed.
• ADA Compliance:  Street repair work may be prioritized to incorporate ancillary work as required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Economy of Scale:  Due to the construction cost unit price increase that occurs when smaller projects are completed instead of larger projects, street projects are typically completed when larger amounts of funding have been accumulated.  By funding larger projects at lower unit prices, more streets can be paved during a given project and available funding is spent in the most efficient manner.
• Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Rating:  The City maintains an AASHTO-compliant pavement management system, which includes a visual assessment rating of every street segment in Shasta Lake.  This rating, called a PCI Rating, is made on a 100-1 scale, with 100 being best.  PCI Ratings are reevaluated and updated every five years  and can be used when comparing streets to determine which street is more in need of repairs.

Typically, several of these factors combine for a single project, which leads to focused projects that meet the funding source requirements.  Final determination of which streets are included in a given project is made by the City Engineer, under the supervision of the City Manager.

The following are the dedicated Street Maintenance revenue sources that the City receives:

• Gas Tax (Ongoing State Revenue):  $257,757 for FY 20-21
• Senate Bill 1 (RMRA; State Revenue, expires in 2028):  $176,593 for FY 20-21

Total annual dedicated revenue:  $434,350

Average annual cost of general street maintenance completed by Public Works (pothole repair, culvert replacement, and pavement patching labor, equipment, and materials):  $130,000

Remaining annual revenue available for street paving projects:  ~$300,000

The City’s available annual revenue available for street paving ($300,000) is vastly outstripped by both the cost to maintain a PCI Rating of 58 ($2.4M) and the overall deferred maintenance backlog ($26M).  Because of this, City staff diligently searches and applies for every additional revenue source that can be located.

For FY 20-21 and FY 21-22, the City Council allocated an additional $700,000 per year for street maintenance projects.  This additional allocation, in combination with the dedicated revenue sources listed above and any other funding that the City is successful in obtaining will allow the City to move forward with several paving projects in the next several years.

Due to the City’s inability to adequately maintain the streets that are currently paved due to the revenue shortfalls discussed above, residents currently living in areas with unpaved streets should not expect those streets to be paved in the foreseeable future.  Alternative solutions exist, such as neighborhoods entering into an assessment district with the express intent being to reconstruct the street.  The costs for work completed by these types of districts are borne by the residents.

Unfortunately, bringing an unpaved street into the City’s maintained street inventory is not as simple as simply laying down asphalt.  In a typical application, the street structural section must be completely reconstructed to City standard to provide a final paved surface that will last for many years.  This typically means excavating and removing about 12” of material throughout the entire area and replacing it with compacted engineered fill prior to asphalt application.   Street reconstruction activities can cost nearly ten times as much simply rehabilitating an existing street.

Costs vary depending upon what work is required to rehabilitate the street segment.  On a typical residential street project, the work will include traffic control, pavement grinding and patching to replace failed pavement, application of pavement reinforcing fabric, hot-mixed asphalt overlay, installation of shoulder backing material, adjustment of traffic boxes and manholes to grade, and installation of new striping.  Although costs are highly variable, based on recent projects and estimates the cost of this type of rehabilitation work ranges between about $110 and $175 per linear foot (or between about $33,000 and $52,500 per 300’ long street block).

Street funding has never kept up with the needs of Shasta Lake.  The City’s average PCI Rating was 58 (out of 100) in 2019, and at that time the City had a deferred maintenance backlog of approximately $26M.  In order to maintain a PCI Rating of 58, it is estimated that the City would need to spend approximately $2.4M per year on street maintenance work.