Street pavement repair

How we fund and improve streets.

1. Identify and resurface streets: Find the streets in San Rafael that need the most repair and repave or slurry seal them each year.
2. Upgrade sidewalks for accessibility: When resurfacing streets, make sure sidewalks at intersections have ADA-compliant curb ramps so they’re accessible to everyone.
3. Plan and maintain street repairs: Create and keep up a long-term plan to decide which streets to fix first and use cost-effective methods to keep streets in good condition for as long as possible.

$800,000 to $1,200,000 annually depending on gas tax revenues.

We hired Pavement Coatings Co. in August 2024 for the 2024-25 pavement maintenance project. The work included slurry seal and microsurfacing to about 187,000 square yards of streets, mainly in West San Rafael neighborhoods. Construction started in September 2024 and finished in October 2024.

Map of streets

Street maintenance and resurfacing

San Rafael has more than 175 miles of streets, made of either asphalt or concrete. Over the last 40 years, traffic has increased while funding for repairs has gone down. As a result, many of our streets need repair or resurfacing.

The Street Maintenance division regularly monitors conditions and performs small, temporary fixes. Each year, the Engineering division also manages a larger resurfacing project with a budget of $800,000 to $1.2 million, depending on gas tax revenue.

How we resurface streets

We use two main methods for maintaining asphalt streets:

• Micro-surfacing or slurry seal: A thin, protective layer made from asphalt emulsion and finely crushed stone. It seals the surface and improves traction.
• Asphalt overlay: A more intensive repair where we grind off the top layer of old asphalt and apply about two inches of new asphalt. This can extend a street’s life by 20–25 years, though busy roads may need it more often.

Concrete streets can’t be resurfaced this way because the equipment would damage them. Instead, they require full reconstruction.

How we decide which streets to fix

Every two years, a consultant inspects all city-maintained streets and gives each one a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). This helps us decide which streets need attention.

Each winter, our Engineering team inspects around 50 streets from this list to decide which treatment to use.

• Streets with a PCI below 30 usually get an asphalt overlay.
• Streets with a PCI between 50 and 70 often get micro-surfacing.

How we prioritize

After inspections, we make a list of streets to include in the next resurfacing project. We consider factors like:

• Budget and location
• Number of curb ramps needed
• How many residents and vehicles will benefit
• Bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements
• Whether utilities plan to work on the same street soon

If a utility company has upcoming work on a street, we usually delay resurfacing for 1–2 years to avoid redoing the same area.

Accessibility and curb ramps

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires curb ramps at intersections where sidewalks meet resurfaced streets. These ramps make it easier for people with disabilities to travel safely.

In recent years, curb ramp construction costs have gone up because many require underground drainage improvements or relocation of existing utilities. These costs come from the same resurfacing budget, meaning fewer funds are available for street repairs.

New Law: Assembly Bill 413

A new state law, AB 413, took effect on October 10, 2023. It prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked. To comply, the City may adjust striping and parking on affected streets.