Editorial: Mulling the long road ahead for Petaluma roadwork

How many streets must our city fix before we applaud its road plan?

The answer, our friends, is blowing in the wind.

If you squint hard enough, you might think we have a future in re-writing hit songs ala Weird Al Yankovic.

It’ll take that same 1,000-yard stare to envision a future in which Petaluma’s roads are renowned for their smoothness.

Last week, we posed the question in our non-scientific online poll: Are you satisfied with the city’s roadwork progress to date?

Of the 43 readers who answered the poll question, just two said “Yes,” a dreadful result if you ignore the fact that those upset with the pace of progress were more likely to take the time to answer a poll.

That said, we suspect a large portion of the city’s population does take issue with the city’s ongoing roadwork efforts. There are legitimate questions about the pace of work, including restriping delays, as well as complaints about the city’s existing priorities.

Add to that the fact that the Highway 101 widening project has made us all see orange in our nightmares, and it’s easy to see why many would prefer an alternate roadwork universe – one in which we’re no longer No. 1 in the regrettable category of “Worst Roads in the Bay Area.”

But believe it or not, things are getting better.

Two months ago, Petaluma marked an important milestone in its mission to positively impact infrastructure. The city’s roads are not the worst in the Bay Area. We’re second worst! That’s according to the latest data released in November by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

With roads that are simply “among the worst in the Bay Area,” we say the pressure is on for Petaluma to continue its progress. After all, we’ve been here before.

Petaluma improved its Bay Area-worst rating in 2016, too, only to slip back into last place once again. Today, only Pacifica ranks worse than Petaluma.

With $100 million in deferred maintenance tied to city streets, Petaluma still has work to do.

But with the first voter-approved sales tax in city history helping bolster local government coffers and expand existing roadwork repair plans through municipal bonds, we see a bright future ahead. And we’re not just talking traffic-cone orange.

As the city moves toward a more climate-friendly transportation approach, Petaluma’s Department of Public Works this year plans to do tackle “complete streets” projects along Petaluma Boulevard South and North McDowell, expanding pedestrian and bicycle protections along each roadway.

The city also plans to continue its pavement restoration program, which earmarks $2.5 million annually for pavement updates. More than 25 miles of roadway were addressed in some manner in 2021.

But there’s still work to be done, as evidenced by the pushback city officials received after rolling out the proposed roadway safety plan, including priority projects.

It’s clear Petaluma officials have heard, loud and clear, the call for road improvements. Voters have put their money where their collective mouth is.

Now we wait. And heck, maybe we’ll have just the third-worst roads in the Bay Area by the end of 2022.