A Plan for Progress

Paving for Progress is arguably one of the most significant public improvement endeavors the City has undertaken to address the condition of our roadways. We often receive questions from residents on how we are fixing our streets and prioritizing all the projects. Cedar Rapids officials made the decision early on to develop a data-driven, impartial, and measurable pavement plan that takes into account all street needs and repair options. Knowing the funding source would not be able to address every road need throughout the city, it was important to have a plan that outlines which street repairs would make the most overall improvement to the entire street network. The Paving for Progress master plan outlines the current condition of our roads, the recommended treatment methods, and a prioritization plan. The plan ensures we are tracking our dollars, documenting the improvements, and communicating our progress to citizens. Below is the program at a glance.

Strategy

• Address neighborhood streets that rarely rose to the top of the priority list in previous years.

• Invest in roads before they reach the end of their service life, when repairs are most costly.

• Completely replace some of our most deteriorated streets.

• Utilize a data-driven, impartial, and measurable plan.

A special vehicle is used to collect data on pavement distress on our roadways, a factor in determining the City’s prioritization plan.

Prioritization

The City developed a 10-year management plan using data collected on every roadway in Cedar Rapids. A special vehicle drives the roads and collects data on texture, pavement distress, and roughness. Fresh data is collected every two years, and the plan is updated accordingly. In addition to the pavement data, other factors help determine street priorities, including how poor the condition of the street is and how expensive it will be to fix. There is a cost benefit of performing work early rather than when the street is worse and repairs are more costly. The City’s strategy has included a little of both — completely replace some streets, while doing preventative maintenance on others.

Funding Overview

• 1 percent Local Option Sales Tax

• 10-year investment: 2014 – 2024

• Sales tax generated by Cedar Rapids residents and visitors who shop and dine in our community

• Approximately $20 million annually

• Funds set aside solely for the maintenance, repair, construction, and reconstruction of public streets

Neighborhood Streets

Many projects funded by the sales tax — particularly on neighborhood streets — would not have been possible given the past funding available. Residential streets rarely qualified for federal funding, making it next to impossible to move up the priority list when competing with the needs of high volume arterial or collector streets.