How street resurfacing works in Birmingham
Poor road conditions in the Birmingham area may be costing local drivers almost $800 a year in extra maintenance, as reported by Jon Reed of AL.com.
The article soon landed on I Believe in Birmingham, a Facebook group that hosts discussions on local matters. There, residents criticized the City of Birmingham’s lack of maintenance on road repair.
I responded with some background information so that everyone knew more about the issue.
How Resurfacing Has Worked Historically
The Traffic Engineering Department grades all street segments from 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. Each year, segments graded 1 and 2 are mapped and distributed to the nine city councilors. Each councilor is allotted $1 million to prioritize which segments in his or her district to resurface.
Other Things to Consider
- The City has about $45 million of resurfacing need (for 1–2 grade segments)
- $9 million is thought be enough to maintain all local streets on a 20-year cycle, which is the industry norm.
Industrial Trucks and Minority Neighborhoods
Mark Kelly, the publisher of Weld for Birmingham, pointed out a critical disparity concerning the city’s streets. In the neighborhoods that Mr. Kelly is referring to, industrial trucks service manufacturing plants and facilities. This includes areas such as the North and Southwest Birmingham communities.
These trucks cause more than 1,000 times the wear and tear to roads than cars do. This factors definitely contributes to the disparity that Mr. Kelly mentioned. Currently, the City is working on establishing truck routes that will direct trucks off of residential streets and onto roads that can handle them more effectively.
What Could Be Done Better?
What priorities do you think should be taken into account when public officials decide which roads to resurface?
