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ITEM #: 2.
DATE: 11/04/2024
AI #:2305

CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT

SUBJECT:

PAVEMENT CUT POLICY

STAFF PRESENTER(S):

Brian Harvel, Streets Superintendent and Sumeet Mohan, P.E. Director Public Works Department

Summary

This is a request for Council to review proposed updates to the City's pavement cut policy, and to seek Council guidance on the proposed policy changes. (Sumeet Mohan, P.E., Public Works Director, and Brian Harvel, Streets Superintendent)

FISCAL IMPACT

There are no direct fiscal impacts of this item, and the anticipated costs associated with the implementation of this policy are minimal.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS

The Public Works Department is updating the City’s pavement cut policy, which has been in effect since 2012. As Goodyear continues to grow, utility companies, developers and city projects routinely cut into our City streets.

Pavement cuts can be problematic for various reasons as they can:

Weaken the road and lead to the road surface sinking or deforming over time;
Create uneven surfaces that pose a risk to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians; and
Require additional repairs increasing long-term maintenance costs.

The City's current pavement cut policy:

Focuses on a pavement cut surcharge, which imposes minimal fees for cuts into newer pavements (less than 36 months), with no pavement cut surcharge for older pavement;
Collects minimal fees, which are not sufficient to fund future pavement restoration projects; and
Results in a patchwork of pavement cut repairs in City streets.

The proposed policy would require pavement cuts to be repaired with new asphalt and crack sealing around the edges of the cut, and to be restored with a secondary asphalt treatment.

For streets with pavement less than two years old, the secondary treatment would be an asphalt overlay/inlay treatment to the full width of all impacted travel lanes.
For streets with pavement more than two years old, the secondary treatment would be a micro seal treatment to half the width of an arterial or collector street, or slurry seal treatment for the full width of a local street.
The secondary treatment would also extend 25 feet in both directions from the pavement cut(s).
Phoenix and Chandler have had similar requirements in place since 2017.
Staff informed our impacted stakeholders from the development community and utilities at the Development Forum held by the City on September 10, 2024.
Stakeholders were provided an opportunity to submit feedback between September 25, 2024 and October 25, 2024. Staff received one comment, which has been addressed in this proposed policy.

STAFF ANALYSIS

The proposed pavement cut policy is focused on restoration and repair of City streets, and not on charging fees or fines. Focusing on restoration is better for long-term maintenance of our City streets, and ensures that our City streets are left in as good or better condition than prior to the pavement cut. Updating our current policy is a critical component of our comprehensive Pavement Management Program. Attachment A provides a draft copy of the proposed street pavement cut policy along with additional information about the proposed policy in a frequently asked question format.

Attachments

Attachment A - Proposed Street Pavement Cut Policy - DRAFT

Staff Presentation