- DRAFT - PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR MERCED COUNTY 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS What is the Pavement Management? 1 Pavement Data Collection 1 Inventorying Pavement Conditions 1 Maintained Paved Mileages for Jurisdictions 1 What Data was Collected 2 Determining Treatments for Pavement Conditions 2 Understanding the Life of Pavement: Creation of Potholes 2 Decision Making Process for Treatment Selection 4 Why do Pavement Management? 5 Preventative Preservation First 6 Cost and Coverage Comparisons 6 Standard Pavement Deterioration Curve 8 Extension of Pavement Life with Timely and Appropriate Treatments 9 Benefits to Motorists 10 Goal 10 Sources of Funding 11 Annually Expected Fundings For Street & Road Maintenance 11 Special Funding 11 Economic Climate 13 Housing Foreclosures: Decline In Property Taxes 13 Less Driving: Reduced Revenues From Federal & State Gas Taxes 13 Economic Recession: Less Sales Tax Revenue 13 State Budget Deficit: Uncertainty Of Monies 13 National Deficit: Devaluation Of Dollar 14 Recession Climate Bids 14 Results from Pavement Management Program (PMP) 15 Overall Pavement Conditions 15 Suggested PMP Treatments & Costs 17 Conclusion: Revenue versus Need 18 Appendix: Maps of Pavement Conditions
What is the Pavement Management? Pavement Management (PM) is a structured program that is set up for rating the pavement conditions, based on inspected and surveyed pavement conditions, of jurisdictional paved-road networks. This program also recommends more-immediate maintenance treatments and performs short- and long-term effectiveness of financing strategies. PM brings more science to the process of determining pavement treatments. It includes: A system to regularly collect pavement condition data A database to store and sort collected data An analysis program to evaluate treatment strategies and suggest cost-effective treatments PAVEMENT DATA COLLECTION: WINDSHIELD INSPECTION Hiring a consultant to collect laser readings, format those for robust front-end software, and train jurisdictional staff how to interpret data, perform analyses and generate reports are very timeconsuming and costly. Furthermore, this level of detail and extensive commitment of resources are not necessarily needed by knowledgeable and experienced jurisdictional public works staff, who could assess the conditions and to determine appropriate treatments for their respective streets by quicker visual inspections. For all of the jurisdictions, this windshield type inspection was the approach undertaken to update the pavement conditions data from the 1998/1999 consultant-gathered laser collections. INVENTORYING PAVEMENT CONDITIONS Maintained Paved Mileages for Jurisdictions Cities and Counties are responsible for the maintenance of more than 80 percent of the state s road system that is currently rated at risk (California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment). For Merced County, the mileages maintained by jurisdictions are estimated and shown in Table 1. Table 1: Estimated Maintained Miles by Jurisdiction Jurisdiction Miles Atwater 98.61 Dos Palos 23.41 Note (*): Gustine 22.91 The figure for the County of Merced is the official number Livingston 43.55 used by the State in their apportionment distribution of Los Banos 127.73 Proposition 42 monies. Merced 282.54 The municipalities figures were estimated from the G.I.S. County of Merced* 1,726.96 2,325.71 1
What Data was Collected Determination for what types of data to be collected through windshield inspections came as the result of researching other public agencies successful pavement management programs (i.e. Metropolitan Transportation Commission s (MTC) StreetSaver). Standardization of inputs for pavement conditions data came from reviewing MTC s freely-accessible, online asphalt condition and distress identification guidebook and also from individual instructional sitdowns with jurisdictional staff. Pavement distresses, including their types (weathering, linear, block, alligator, rutting), respective severities (low, moderate, severe) and extents (how much of the segment s pavement surface), were collected. Drainage and ride observations were also collected. These pavement conditions were for every segment (typically from intersection to intersection) of every paved roadway for the entire county. Table 2 shows the windshield inspection pavement conditions collected. Table 2: Pavement Condition: Windshield Inspection Conditions Pavement Condition Severity Extent Weathering (drying) Linear Cracking (long./transverse) Block Cracking (paneling) Alligator Cracking (scaling) Rutting Ride Drainage Low, Moderate, Severe Good, Fair, Poor Low (25-50%) Medium (50-75%) High (75-100%) Low, Medium, High Due to constraints on available resources, as shown in Table 3, the Cities of Merced and Los Banos have assessed their paved roadway conditions using more generalized overall assessment categories of either Overall Condition Index (OCI: numeric value between 0 and 100, with 100 being a new roadway) or overall qualitative conditions (Very good, good, fair, poor, very poor). Table 3: Pavement Condition: Overall Condition Indices (OCI) and Qualitative Conditions OCI Qualitative Condition Description 85-100 Very Good Good surface 75-85 Good Minor-moderate cracking 40-75 Fair Moderate-severe cracking 20-40 Poor Severe cracking 0-20 Very Poor Extreme structural damage; Failed DETERMINING TREATMENTS FOR PAVEMENT CONDITIONS Understanding the Life of Pavement: Creation of Potholes A paved roadway is made up of sections: sub-grade soil, crushed rock capping layer, granular (gravel and sand) sub-base, and asphalt pavement surface. 2
Potholes on road surfaces develop as the result of stress deterioration of traffic-impacted, untreated roadways and by penetration of water into the sub-grade of the structure. Figure 1 and the following discussion describes the life cycle of pavement. A new paved roadway starts out as a black, crack-free surface. With weathering (oxidation that results in the hardening and aging of the asphalt binder) and traffic, the surface dries, turns grayish and shows signs of loose aggregates (exposed rocks). Left untreated, this dried pavement surface begins to crack linearly (longitudinal and transverse) under traffic loadings. These cracks form paneled or block cracks. As shown in Figure 2, cracking to the pavement surface allows water to penetrate into the roadway structure, which results in frost action (repeated expansion, caused by freezing, and thawing of water), pavement upheaval and cavity collapse (pothole). Figure 1: Life Cycle of Pavement. 3
Figure 2: Frost Heave of Pavement by Repeated Freezing and Thawing of Penetrated Water. Source: Michigan Department of Transportation Over time, these cracks become more widespread and severe (wider, deeper and closer together) in nature. Visibly, these blocks become smaller so that they resemble scales of an alligator, and that s how this type of fatigue distress got its alias, alligator cracking. As traffic traverses the failed roadway with severe alligator cracking, some of the broken pavement gets dislodged leaving potholes. Decision Making Process for Treatment Selection Now that it s clearer how untreated pavement deteriorates to failure over time due to distress loadings and water penetration, the following discussion will describe the treatment selection for various pavement conditions (stages in the life of pavement). Fog Seal ($0.07/sq.ft.): When pavement surface appears gray and dried, spraying fog seal will prevent dry cracking under traffic loadings. Rejuvenating Seal ($0.12/sq.ft.): When pavement surface appears dried with visibly nearloose aggregate and maybe signs of minor linear pavement cracking, using this sealant mixture will prevent further cracking as well as further reinforce the bonds to improve structural integrity. 4
Slurry or Sand Seal ($0.20-0.30/sq.ft.): When minor pavement cracking appears, treating the surface with special composite material (slurry) and/or fine sand with emulsion will fill in the surface cracks. Scrub Seal ($0.40/sq.ft.): With minor to moderate levels of pavement cracking (when manual crack fillings are infeasible), broom-scrubbing mixed-size aggregates into these cracks following the application of a layer of emulsion will enhance surface-volume-contact bondings, which act to strengthen the failing pavement surface, seal against water penetration and prevent further rapid deterioration. Cape Seal: Scrub Seal and Microsurfacing ($0.95/sq.ft.): With inconsistent moderate, more extensive pavement cracking on more-traveled roadways, performing scrub seal followed by microsurfacing (for quicker set and faster open-to-traffic turnarounds) will fill the various cracks and provide an aesthetic, sealed surface. Thin Overlay: Partial-Depth Grinding, Sheet Asphalt, Scrub Seal and 2 AC ($2.80/sq.ft.): With moderate to severe pavement cracking in low-moderate traffic areas, partially grinding the surface, scrub sealing the cracks and placing a thin asphalt overlay will restore the condition and performance of the roadway. Please note that scrub sealing, prior to the thin overlay, will act to retard any reflective cracking. Thick Overlay: Full-Depth Grinding, Sheet Asphalt, Scrub Seal and >2 AC ($4.30/sq.ft.): With more severe pavement cracking in moderate-high traffic areas, if the foundation layers have not been comprised, full-depth grinding the surface, scrub sealing the cracks and placing a thick asphalt overlay will restore the condition and performance of the roadway. Please note that scrub sealing, prior to the thin overlay, will act to retard any reflective cracking. Full Reconstruction with 4 AC ($6.06/sq.ft.): When the roadway has completely failed with crumbling surface pavement and compromised structure, full reconstruction will be suggested. Please note that the above-mentioned (2005/2006) unit costs include equipment, hauling/applying materials and labor. These unit costs do not include other cost factors such as engineering, inspection, force account labor, traffic control, signage, notification to residents, AC grinding, striping/stenciling, etc. Public works road crew also performs other pavement maintenance beyond those listed above such as patching, crack filling, pothole repair, etc. Why do Pavement Management? Public roads allow for moving people and freight. Due to their value and importance to the national economic vitality, preserving their condition and performance should be a priority. Pavement Management is used to maximize financial investment in those assets and to save motorist money spent annually on rough road impacts. 5
PREVENTATIVE PRESERVATION FIRST In the past, many jurisdictions haven chosen the typical approach to pavement maintenance and repair such as Fix the worst first. Unfortunately, in the long run this is actually the least costeffective strategy. Especially with the instability of funding, it is even more important to implement the most efficient, cost-effective ( biggest bang for the buck ) and timely maintenance strategies. Preservation treatments are highly recommended, because of their more reasonable costs, their larger coverage areas and their ability to extend the life of pavement. Cost and Coverage Comparisons Costs per lane mile for reconstruction after 25 years can be more than 3x the costs of periodic preservation treatments over the same 25-year period (AASHTO, 2009). Table 4 estimates the costs of preservation treatments and compares this total to the cost of reconstruction. Table 4: Comparison of Periodic Preventative Costs to Reconstruction Over 25 Years Table 4 assumes a new paved road at year 1. In years 3-25, preventative treatments would be performed to preserve and extend the life of the pavement surface. Figures 3 illustrates the cost comparison for treatments of various pavement conditions. Figure 3: Cost Comparison for Treatments Preventative Maintenance via Preservation Treatments 6
Figures 4 illustrates the coverage comparison for treatments of various pavement conditions. Figure 4: Coverage Comparison for Treatments Preventative Maintenance via Preservation Treatments The cost to reconstruct one mile of roadway is equivalent to: Major Rehabilitation. = 1.5 miles of thick 4 asphalt overlay = 2 miles of thin 2 asphalt overlay Preventative Maintenance. = 6 miles of cape (scrub seal plus microsurfacing) seal = 15 miles of scrub seal = 51 miles of rejuvenating seal = 87 miles of fog seal 7
Standard Pavement Deterioration Curve As depicted in Figure 5, the national standard pavement deterioration curve, it would cost $1 (on average) to keep a road in good shape for every $7 you would have to spend on reconstruction. Figure 5: National Standard Deterioration Curve for Pavement. Please recall the life of an untreated roadway and the selection of treatments as described in the previous sections. New pavement will hold its strength for 75% of its life. However, if left untreated, the drying pavement will crack and these cracks will propagate out and become more severe with continued traffic loadings. Along with this, cracks will allow water to penetrate the surface and progressively upheave the pavement surface via the frost heave process. As shown in the standard pavement deterioration curve diagram, these above-mentioned conditions are depicted by the steepening of deterioration. 8
Extension of Pavement Life with Timely and Appropriate Treatments Preservation strategy implies spending smart by making investments needed to keep a road in good repair, rather than paying more later to address greater deterioration. As shown in Figure 6, by performing appropriate treatments in a timely manner, the life of pavement could be extended (retaining serviceability and performance), thereby, delaying the need for costly rehabilitation and reconstruction. Figure 6: Extend Life with Preventative (Preservation) Maintenance Appropriate treatment means performing the needed maintenance for observed pavement condition. As an example, referring back to the treatment selection section, it would not be very effective to perform fog/rejuvenating seals on pavement that suffers from moderate level of cracking on much of the surface. It would be more appropriate to select a treatment that will fill and seal the cracks to restore structural integrity so that further deterioration was retarded. Timely treatment means performing appropriate maintenance before pavement deteriorates further and faster. 9
BENEFITS TO MOTORISTS In a flash, potholes can dislodge a hubcap, shred a tire, or even cause a driver to lose control of a car. PM will help decision makers extend the life of good roads while strategizing the catch-up on deferred maintenance. Poor-quality pavement increases operating costs to motorists. Rough roads add an average of $335* to the annual cost of owning a car due to damaged tires, suspensions, reduced fuel efficiency and accelerated vehicle depreciation ( Rough Roads Ahead, AASHTO/TRIP, 2009). Keeping pavement in good repair will save motorists from additional operating costs. Table 5 shows the average annual costs to motorists of reported nearby cities. Table 5: Average Annual Costs to Motorists in Nearby Cities City (as cited in Rough Roads Ahead report) Cost (2007) Fresno $461 Modesto $538 (* Model developed that estimates operating cost to driver based on average number of miles driven and AAA s 2008 vehicle operating cost data. Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) estimated impact of road conditions on fuel consumption) (In 2007, AAA reports that the average cost for a motorist traveling 15,000 miles per year is $8,100, although costs vary depending on the vehicle and location.) Goal The ultimate goal of a Pavement Management (PM) system is to effectively strategize short- & long-term usages of current and future limited monies to restore and maintain pavement at Fair to Better conditions for the ENTIRE road pavement network. Good-condition road networks will ensure the economic vitality of the Nation and will benefit motorists with safety assurances and minimized additional costs. 10
Sources of Funding Table 6 shows the various funding sources and their respective amounts allocated to the jurisdictions, which would be used for street and road pavement maintenance. The first column set depicts expected annual revenue amounts. Whereas, the second column set depicts two special (one-time) funding sources. Table 6: Revenue Sources of Maintenance Funding for Jurisdictions ANNUALLY EXPECTED FUNDINGS FOR STREET & ROAD MAINTENANCE Currently, fundings from the following sources are expectedly allocated annually to the jurisdictions for street and road maintenance. Local General Funds and Tax Measures Federal Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP): Federal allocation exchanged for state dollars State Local Transportation Funds (LTF): Derived from state general sales tax; Priority given to transit State Proposition 42: Derived from state sales tax on gas State Proposition 111 (Highway Users Tax): Derived from state fuel tax SPECIAL FUNDING Proposition 1B Local Street and Roads (LS&R) With the passing of the State Bond Measure 1B in November 2006, $2 billion will be available to the counties ($1 billion) and cities ($1 billion) for improvements to transportation facilities that will assist in reducing local traffic congestion and further deterioration, improving traffic flows, or increasing traffic safety that may include, but not be limited to, street and highway pavement maintenance, rehabilitation, installation, construction and reconstruction of necessary associated facilities such as drainage and traffic control devices, or the maintenance, rehabilitation, installation, construction and reconstruction of facilities that expand rider ship on transit systems, safety projects to reduce fatalities, or as a local match to obtain state or federal transportation funds for similar purposes. Allocation of funds are by formula, as specified in Proposition 1B: 75% of funds apportioned to counties are based on the number of vehicles registered in the county, relative to all counties in the State, and 25% are based on number of county maintained road miles, relative to all county 11
maintained road miles in the State; Funds apportioned to cities are based on total population of the city in relation to all cities in the State (with the minimum $400,000 to each city). Table 7 shows how the jurisdictions will utilize Proposition 1 B: Local Streets and Roads fundings. Table 7: Jurisdictional Use of Proposition 1 B (Local Streets and Roads) Funds Jurisdiction Description Prop 1B Funding Atwater Atwater Blvd streetscape: downtown sub-area & entry gateway $ 444,217 Dos Palos Maintenance $ 400,000 Gustine Maintenance $ 400,000 Livingston Maintenance $ 415,490 Los Banos Maintenance $ 1,089,803 Merced Overlay & Reconstruction of Olive Ave: Hwy 59-G; Parsons Ave Extension; Maintenance $ 2,467,231 County of Merced Major Maintenance; Reconstructions; Major Roadway Improvements $ 6,278,962 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) On February 17, 2009, H.R.1, The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) was signed into law. The ARRA provided billions for transportation infrastructure as a means of stimulating the nation s severe economic decline. Under H.R.1, California must sub-allocate 30% ($771M) of the ARRA fund total ($2.57B) to the regions for programming. Caltrans used the existing Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) formula to distribute ARRA-RSTP funds to the regions. MCAG s total regional portion of to program was $9.9 million in ARRA-RSTP funds and $300,000 in Transportation Enhancement funds. Table 8 shows how the jurisdictions plan to use ARRA fundings. Table 8: Jurisdictional Use of ARRA Funds Jurisdiction Description ARRA Funding Overlay & Partial Reconstruction: Shaffer Rd, Winton Wy Atwater Overlay & Partial Reconstruction: $ 1,100,849 Juniper Ave: Shaffer Bridgewater Dos Palos Construction & Reconstruction of Sidewalks $ 200,597 Gustine Construction & Reconstruction of Sidewalks and Construction of New Curb Cut Ramps in Downtown $ 207,585 Livingston Rehabilitation: Peach Ave: 7 th Dwight; 7 th St: Peach Park; Walnut Ave: Almond Glen E. City Limit Rehabilitation: 1 st St: Peach J; 1 st St: F B; $ 550,804 7 th St: F C; C St: Main 7 th Los Banos Asphalt Overlays/Rehabilitation of Various Roads $ 1,439,476 Overlay: 16 th St: G - V Merced Reconstruction & Repaving Central Merced: Various Streets: G, M, 18 th $ 3,218,498 County of Merced Avenue Two Bridge over Canal Creek Scrub Seals for County Roads $ 3,473,757 12
Economic Climate The following economic turmoil decreases the revenue sources current and future fundings for streets and roads. HOUSING FORECLOSURES: DECLINE IN PROPERTY TAXES The collapse of the housing market has resulted in the decline of property tax revenues for State and local governments. This decline of property tax revenues resulted from large numbers of foreclosures and the decrease in property value. LESS DRIVING: REDUCED REVENUES FROM FEDERAL & STATE GAS TAXES Initially, less driving was the result of skyrocketed fuel prices. Even with lower gas prices, people are still driving less due to the Recession. High unemployment rates mean less traveling. Others are saving as the cautionary measure during this unstable, economic time. Reduced gas tax revenues resulted. ECONOMIC RECESSION: LESS SALES TAX REVENUE With ever deepening Economic Recession, unemployment has been rising for the Nation and especially for California. The Nation s unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in May, while California s unemployment rate reached 11.5%, and is 17.3% in June for Merced County. Those unemployed have less money to spend, and others are saving (instead of spending, especially on big ticket items) to safeguard themselves during the Recession. Less spending translates to less sales tax revenue generated. STATE BUDGET DEFICIT: UNCERTAINTY OF MONIES The State of California must put together the FY 2009-2010 State Budget that will close an estimated $26 billion deficit. Cash flow (while working on budget to deal with large deficit) Bond sales (declining credit rating) Debt repayments (payback borrowed monies plus interests will deplete State s general fund) Deteriorating revenues (high unemployment=less income taxes; home foreclosures=less property taxes; business collapses=less taxes; less driving=less gas taxes) Increasing expenses (high unemployment=more need for state net) If the Budget Conference Committee s approved budgetary fix proposals are enacted, they will seriously cripple local government s ability to maintain streets and roads. Such proposed state budgetary proposals include seizing Highway User s Tax Account (HUTA: gas tax) monies and once again borrowing of Proposition 42 (sales tax on gas) funds. 13
NATIONAL DEFICIT: DEVALUATION OF DOLLAR With the national deficit on the rise with continued spending to push the economy out of its current recession, it is likely that devaluation of the U.S. Dollar and thus inflation are in our future. With prospective inflated costs, the number of unmaintained paved roadways will rise resulting in a greater backlog of deferred rehabilitation and replacement projects. RECESSION CLIMATE BIDS A bright side to this Recession period is the drop in bids on projects. Due to the slowdown of construction and lessening of available funding for projects, contractors have competitively placed very low (near no profit) bids to win jobs in order to just survive. With such low bids, monies could be stretched farther on street and road projects. 14
Results from Pavement Management Program (PMP) OVERALL PAVEMENT CONDITIONS The following tables, Table 9 A-G, (with charts) summarize the overall pavement conditions for each jurisdiction. Table 9 A: Pavement Conditions for Atwater Atwater Fair to Better 78 % Poor and Worse 22 % Table 9 B: Pavement Conditions for Dos Palos Dos Palos Fair to Better 41 % Poor and Worse 59 % Table 9 C: Pavement Conditions for Gustine Gustine Fair to Better 54 % Poor and Worse 46 % 15
Table 9 D: Pavement Conditions for Livingston Livingston Fair to Better 86 % Poor and Worse 14 % Table 9 E: Pavement Conditions for Los Banos Los Banos Fair to Better 78 % Poor and Worse 22 % Table 9 F: Pavement Conditions for Merced Merced Fair to Better 77 % Poor and Worse 23 % Table 9 G: Pavement Conditions for County of Merced County of Merced Fair to Better 75 % Poor and Worse 25 % 16
Pavement conditions for each jurisdiction are illustrated on the maps, which are in the appendix section of this report. SUGGESTED PMP TREATMENTS & COSTS The following tables, Table 10 A-G, show the costs of Preventative Maintenance and Rehabilitation/Reconstruction for each jurisdiction. Table 10 A: Restoration Costs for Atwater Fair to Better 78 % Preventative $ 2.5 M Atwater Poor and Worse 22 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 12.8 M Table 10 B: Restoration Costs for Dos Palos Fair to Better 41 % Preventative $ 0.7 M Dos Palos Poor and Worse 59 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 9.1 M Table 10 C: Restoration Costs for Gustine Fair to Better 54 % Preventative $ 0.2 M Gustine Poor and Worse 46 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 7.0 M Table 10 D: Restoration Costs for Livingston Fair to Better 86 % Preventative $ 1.1 M Livingston Poor and Worse 14 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 4.7 M Table 10 E: Restoration Costs for Los Banos Fair to Better 78 % Preventative $ 3.1 M Los Banos Poor and Worse 22 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 17.7 M Table 10 F: Restoration Costs for Merced Fair to Better 77 % Preventative $ 4.0 M Merced Poor and Worse 23 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 23.3 M Table 10 G: Restoration Costs for County of Merced Fair to Better 75 % Preventative $ 10.9 M County of Merced Poor and Worse 25 % Rehab./Reconstruct. $ 89.0 M 17
Conclusion: Revenue versus Need The summary of revenues and pavement restoration needs is shown in Table 11. Table 11: Revenues versus Restoration Needs by Jurisdiction Annual Preventative Rehab./ Total Jurisdiction Revenue Maintenance Reconstruct. Need Atwater $ 1.1 M $ 2.5 M $ 12.8 M $ 15.3 M Dos Palos $ 0.2 M $ 0.7 M $ 9.1 M $ 9.8 M Gustine $ 0.2 M $ 0.2 M $ 7.0 M $ 7.2 M Livingston $ 0.6 M $ 1.1 M $ 4.7 M $ 5.8 M Los Banos $ 1.3 M $ 3.1 M $ 17.7 M $ 20.8 M Merced $ 2.8 M $ 4.0 M $ 23.3 M $ 27.3 M County of Merced $ 7.7 M $ 10.9 M $ 89.0 M $ 99.9 M What becomes clear is that the total needs are many times the amounts of annual revenues. Inadequate and inconsistent levels of maintenance funding have resulted in an immense backlog of deferred maintenance (rehabilitation and reconstruction) projects. Since the deterioration of pavement is more gradual while in its preventative maintenance stage, it would be possible to keep the streets and roads at Fair to Better conditions by the timely budgeting of sufficient preventative treatment funds over three to five years. If more (beyond the preventative costs) was budgeted, then jurisdictions could bring streets and roads up from Poor or Worse conditions by catching up on the deferred rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. 18
Appendix Maps of Pavement Conditions