Milpitas Roads Could Use Some Love, Report States

If you drive in Santa Clara, your car loves you. But if you're over in Fremont or San Jose, the alignment shop may be your car's best friend.

A new report released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission looked at road conditions throughout the Bay Area. According to the "Pothole Report", Milpitas' pavement, 287 lane miles, is considered "fair" compared with other South Bay cities.

The index includes five possible conditions: very good, good, fair, at-risk and poor.

The MTC determines that 60 points, the lowest ranking in the "fair" category, is the threshold at which deterioration accelerates rapidly and the need for major rehabilitation increases.

Data puts Milpitas' 2010 pavement condition index (PCI) score at 69 out of a maximum possible 100 points, as computed on a three-year moving average basis. That's just slightly better than San Jose or Fremont. Both scored 64.

According to the budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year, the city of Milpitas estimates it will spend $2 million on street resurfacing.

Here's the ranking of city roads within Santa Clara County (plus Fremont because it borders Milpitas), based on the PCI numbers.

* estimate based on projections from 2007

Here's a breakdown of the scores:

• PCI scores of 90 or higher are considered “excellent.” These are newly built or resurfaced streets that show little or no distress.

• Pavement with a PCI score in the 80 to 89 range is characterized as “very good,” and shows only slight or moderate distress, requiring mostly preventive maintenance.

• The “good” category ranges from 70 to 79, while streets with PCI scores in the “fair” (60-69) range are becoming worn to the point where rehabilitation may be needed to prevent rapid deterioration. Because major repairs cost five to 10 times more than routine maintenance, these streets are at an especially critical stage.

• Roadways with PCI scores of 50 to 59 are deemed “at-risk,” while those with PCI scores of 25 to 49 are considered “poor.” These roads require major rehabilitation or reconstruction.

-Emily Henry contributed to this report.