Committee to consider repairs to San Jose streets

SAN JOSE (KGO) -- A San Jose city council committee will consider how to fix some of the city's worst streets. It could cost half a billion dollars.

A new audit reveals the roads in San Jose have deteriorated over the last 10 years and if something isn't done about it, it's only going to get worse. The city auditor released a report on San Jose roads and found 60 percent of the roads show significant distresses and are worn to the point where expensive repairs may be needed.

San Jose residents are very concerned. Recent opinion surveys give street repair the lowest rating of any city service. The report to the Transportation and Environment Committee reveals a lot of money is needed to eliminate the backlog of poor and failed roads. The Department of Transportation estimates it would need $504 million in one time funding just to eliminate the backlog of poor and failed roads in San Jose and another $104 million annually over the next decade to raise the average pavement condition from fair to good. That's about $80 million more a year than the current available funding.

The report reveals San Jose relies heavily on state gas taxes, federal grants and one-time sources of funding. Other cities do too, but many relied on other sources -- like money from the general fund and sales tax revenues. The city auditor wants San Jose leaders to find a sustainable, predictable funding stream to maintain the roads. And that's what the council committee will look at today at its meeting that starts at 1:30.