The City of Vancouver is preparing to pave and preserve streets across 20 Vancouver neighborhoods this summer. Vancouver’s Pavement Management Program will invest approximately $13.1 million in planning, design and construction to improve pavement conditions throughout the community, thanks in part to license fees collected through the City’s Transportation Benefit District.
This year’s program will pave more than five miles of city streets, including segments along East Fourth Plain Boulevard, Fort Vancouver Way, East McLoughlin Boulevard, East 18th/20th Street, Northeast 58th Street, Northeast 49th Street and Southeast Evergreen Highway. In addition, approximately three miles of residential streets currently in poor or failed condition will be resurfaced in Harney Heights, Vancouver Heights, Oakbrook, Old Evergreen Highway, Fircrest, Mountain View and Cascade Highlands neighborhoods. The City will implement new street elements along East Fourth Plain Boulevard and Fort Vancouver Way after the paving work is completed. Vancouver community members have provided extensive input for this safety and mobility project and more details can be found online.
Pavement preservation work – which includes micro surfacing, slurry seal, asphalt rubber chip seal and cape seal treatments – is another big component of the City’s annual Pavement Management Program. Preservation work alternates between east and west Vancouver. For 2023, almost 16 miles of streets in west Vancouver will see some type of preservation used to protect and extend the life of these streets. Some of those street segments include Kauffman Avenue, East Reserve Street, Northeast Ross/54th Street, Northeast 51st Street, Northeast 66th Avenue, Northeast Vancouver Mall Drive/Loop, Saint Helens Avenue, Southeast Ellsworth Road and Lieser Road.
Curb ramps at approximately 127 locations along the various project routes will be upgraded to current standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve accessibility and mobility for all. Federal requirements mandate that curb ramps be upgraded to current ADA-compliant standards along streets receiving treatments that are considered an alteration, such as paving or cape sealing. In areas where ADA-compliant ramps exist, no changes are required.
Several steps can be expected before pavement work begins on the street. In preparation for the coming work, street tree and vegetation pruning along identified streets has begun and will continue through June to help clear the way for coming construction equipment. The Pavement Management Program is coordinating with Urban Forestry, both divisions of Public Works, to embark on a comprehensive proactive street tree maintenance program to protect the health and structure of trees in our community. Pavement repairs, sealing of cracks and construction of ADA ramps will also take place prior to paving and preservation work.
Throughout the process, community members and businesses along the project corridors will receive notices with details about work hours, parking restrictions, closures and more. Community members are also encouraged to watch for signage and flaggers during construction, alerting travelers to slow down and be prepared for brief delays ahead.
There are more than 1,900 lane miles of paved streets in Vancouver. Each year, streets are evaluated to determine the most cost-effective methods to extend pavement life and provide better driving conditions. When streets begin to fail, they can often fail quickly and the cost to repair them increases dramatically. Keeping good streets in good condition provides the most cost-effective and efficient use of available resources.
Since its adoption by City Council in 2015, Vancouver’s Street Funding Strategy has provided additional funding to continue improvements to overall pavement conditions citywide and reverse a trend of deterioration. Transportation Benefit District fees are a substantial part of this funding strategy.
