San Bernardino News Daily Local news for San Bernardino, about San Bernardino.
At their meeting on Wednesday, December 3, the City of San Bernardino Mayor and Council were presented with the findings of a recently completed assessment of the current condition of every street across the City and the cost to repair and maintain these streets over the next ten years.
“This is the first step in putting together a program to continue the City Council’s efforts in improving the City’s pavement conditions and pavement ratings,” said City manager Eric Levitt.
San Bernardino maintains approximately 557 miles of roadway encompassing arterial, collector, and local residential streets. Pavement infrastructure represents one of the City’s largest capital assets and plays a critical role in mobility, economic activity, and safety.
In 2024, the City contracted with NCE to prepare a Pavement Management Program to evaluate the condition of its streets. The program’s primary objectives were to:
- Assess current citywide pavement conditions.
- Identify maintenance and rehabilitation needs across all roadway classifications.
- Develop 5/10-year investment strategies.
- Maximize the return on investment through lifecycle-based preservation.
Each street segment was rated to determine its PCI (0–100), where 100 represents excellent condition and 0 represents failed pavement.
The analysis found that San Bernardino’s overall street condition rated a 51, or fair grade. That rating falls below the statewide average of 65.
The City’s pavement condition distribution is summarized below:
- Good (65–100): 32.4%
- Fair (40–64): 31.9%
- Poor (24–39): 17.3%
- Very Poor/Failed (<25): 18.4%
The cost to bring San Bernardino’s roads up to the statewide average over the next ten years is expected to cost between $440 and $550 million dollars, or $44-$55 million per year. The City is currently spending approximately $13 million per year.
As a result of the study findings, the City Council voted to direct staff to incorporate the findings into the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, to evaluate and pursue sustainable funding strategies, including potential bond financing, Measure S allocations, and potential state and federal grant opportunities.
The City will also develop a plan for prioritizing available funds with street repair needs.
