Overview

Public Works has implemented a program to rehabilitate city streets affected by deferred maintenance, under the City Arterial and Collector Street Reconstruction/Overlay project (c400809). This program targets heavily used arterial and collector streets.

The City of Santa Cruz uses the pavement condition index, or PCI, as a pavement condition measurement, which ranges from zero to 100. A newly constructed street will have a PCI of 100, while a failed street will have a PCI of 25 or less. The PCI is used to inform the cost-effective pavement rehabilitation treatment. By being proactive with pavement maintenance, the city reduces the lifecycle cost of the roadway.

Impacted Neighborhoods

The General Engineering and Transportation Engineering divisions meet annually to review roadways planned for pavement rehabilitation and identify where the priorities of pavement rehabilitation and transportation network improvements overlap. The Prospect Heights and Harvey West neighborhoods met that criteria for the 2025 project.

Prospect Heights and Morrissey Blvd. 

• In Prospect Heights, the clockwise loop of Pacheco Avenue, Prospect Heights, and Morrissey Boulevard were identified for the project. The pavement rehabilitation treatment is expected to be micro-milling and micro-paving. This is a new treatment for the City and expected to have a similar cost to micro-surfacing, but is more durable and last longer. The transportation improvements are focused on school access to DeLaveaga Elementary School and Harbor High School.
• View the Morrissey/Prospect Heights Striping Plan

Harvey West

• In Harvey West, the project will include Encinal Street, Dubois Street, Harvey West Boulevard, and Coral Street between Harvey West Boulevard and River Street. The pavement rehabilitation treatment is expected to be cold-in-place recycling, a treatment that reuses existing materials in the roadway. The transportation improvements are focused on bicycle and pedestrian access along Encinal Street.
• View the Harvey West/Encinal Striping Plan

Project Timeline

Construction is anticipated to take place in summer or fall 2025.

Fiscal Impact

The City Arterial and Collector Street Reconstruction/Overlay project (c400809) is funded by Measure D, Gas Tax and Measure H. There is no new impact to the General Fund. 

Environmental and Health Impact

California Environmental Quality Act

• Each of the projects will be individually analyzed for CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) impacts.

Health in All Policies

• The proposed project is in alignment with the General Plan and Active Transportation Plan. The General Plan calls for a “citywide interconnected system of safe, inviting, and accessible pedestrian ways and bikeways” (Goal M4) and to “maintain the condition of the existing road system” (M3.2.1) and “…maintain pavement in a condition that keeps maintenance cost to a minimum” (M3.2.6). The project promotes the following Health in All Policies Condition: Healthy Environments because pedestrian and bicycles improvements are included in the pavement rehabilitation project.