Mayor Bianchi and the City of Pittsfield have partnered with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to create a new pavement management system. “This new partnership allows us to most cost effectively maintain and repair our roads. The first step of the project was to assess the condition of each street. Field data was then refined and analyzed using a software program that suggests a course of action and offers a timeline for repairs or maintenance. This means using the right method on the right road at the right time and in the right way. Certainly, the city has been successful in implementing cost effective measures such as asphalt recycling / reuse, so this was a logical next step to improve our efforts as good stewards of tax based funds” commented Bianchi. One of the primary goals of the new system is to maintain roads that are currently in strong condition with low cost measures, and to keep roads that are in poor condition serviceable until funds are available to fully fix the road. By keeping good roads in good condition for as long as possible it frees up funding for the roads in poor condition which cost far greater. The new pavement management system uses an Overall pavement Condition Index, or O.C.I., which. ranges from 0 (failed) to 100 (new). There are many factors that comprise the O.C.I. and it is worth pointing out that a street may have some deteriorated sections, but may still be rated higher when considering the entirety of the roadway. Another important system component is the Net Priority Ranking which gives a higher ranking to higher volume streets, routes to hospitals, routes to schools, etc. The partnership between the City of Pittsfield and Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. has provided a more accurate means of understanding the true cost of street infrastructure and the ability to plan more accurately for both short and long range maintenance and more extensive repairs.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:03:48 +0000
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