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Questions and Answers about the 2018 Street Bond
1. Why do we need a roads millage?
The amount of funds budgeted annually for road repair and replacement, approximately $550,000 per year, is not sufficient to keep pace with the rate at which roads are deteriorating.
At present, 46.5% of Northville roads have a “poor” rating … which means that we are repairing roads when they get closer to the “replacement” condition. This is a very expensive way to maintain roads. It also results in people driving on roads that are more likely to develop potholes and crumbling conditions.
City of Northville has a plan to prioritize road repair and replacement
There’s a science to determining how roads should be repaired or replaced, balanced by practicality and traffic flow.
The process of evaluation and analysis starts with rating roads using the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system, an industry-standard assessment in which trained analysts drive each segment of road (from intersection to intersection) and score it from one (the worst) to 10 (a new road). Roads rated 7 or 8 may require routine maintenance, such as crack sealing or minor patching. Roads rated 4-6 are considered to be in “fair” condition and may need preventive maintenance, such as an overlay or joint repairs. Roads rated less than 4 are candidates for extensive repairs or reconstruction.
Roads repair and replacement ballot proposal will be put to voters in November
At the general election on Nov. 6, 2018, voters in the City of Northville will be asked to decide on a ballot proposal for the issuance of a $3,050,000 Street Improvement Bond, paid for over 10 years, to replace and repair a segment of the City’s roads and provide upgraded maintenance to slow the rate of deterioration. (See official ballot language at the end of this article.)
An assessment of the City’s streets made in a 2016-17 report by the engineering firm Spalding DeDecker reported that 46.5% were in “poor” condition and 20.8% were in “fair” condition. Engineers estimate at the end of 10 years, the bond program would increase the amount of streets rated as “good” from 32.7% to 63.1% and streets rated as “poor” would decrease from 46.5% to 34.1%.