Streets Maintenance & Preservation Methods

Ridgefield's livability, economic vitality, and public safety and emergency response depend on a healthy, viable street system. Streets are the backbone of all community and business activities and impact Ridgefield's overall quality of life. Just like a home or office building, a vehicle or a bicycle, our street system needs ongoing maintenance to continue to serve us now and into the future.

Just like your car needs regularly scheduled oil changes to remain in good working condition, a street needs regular maintenance to function properly and meet its expected 50-year life span. Scheduled maintenance extends the life of our streets by 50% and costs less than expensive repairs needed without it. The cost of reconstructing unmaintained roads is 15 times the amount of regular maintenance. 

Water intrusion into streets and temperature variations that cause freezing and thawing (expansion and contraction) below the surface will deteriorate the subsurface of a street and will eventually lead to surface cracking and potholes. Potholes are filled in as they occur, but only regularly scheduled maintenance to seal a street will prevent water intrusion and its damaging effects.Pavement Life Cycle Graph comparing road conditions over time in years.

Proactive maintenance and preservation through regularly scheduled crack and slurry sealing, every 10 to 15 years after a street's construction is the most effective method for extending the life of pavement. Established engineering studies show that a street left unmaintained after that timeline will deteriorate rapidly and necessitate a more detailed and expensive method of repair.

To evaluate pavement conditions and prioritize maintenance projects, streets in Ridgefield are monitored and rated on the Pavement Conditions Index (PCI). Ridgefield aims to maintain an average rating of about 80 (Very Good).

Methods

Below are descriptions of the various maintenance and preservation methods you may see utilized in the City of Ridgefield.

  1. Crack Seal

The most cost effective preservation method, crack sealing involves applying an asphalt rubber into a crack to prevent water intrusion.

  1. Slurry Seal
  1. Micro-Surfacing
  1. Chip Seal
  1. Cape Seal
  1. Mill & Fill Overlay

Funding Pavement Preservation in Ridgefield


This program is paid for by all who use Ridgefield’s streets through the Ridgefield Transportation Benefit District. 

Sales & Use Tax for Transportation Improvements

On July 22, 2021 City Council passed Resolution Number 596, providing for a ballot proposition in the November 2021 General Election to authorize a sales and use tax of 0.2% on taxable retail sales for the purpose of financing pavement preservation and maintenance. The proposition passed and Council rescinded the $30 Ridgefield vehicle license fee.