Laguna Woods council adopts updated pavement management plan, directs staff to advance near-term repairs

The Laguna Woods City Council on Feb. 24 adopted an updated pavement management plan and directed staff to advance near-term pavement projects after a staff presentation that flagged a recent decline in the citywide pavement condition index (PCI).

City Manager Chris told the council the plan, prepared with Kimberly Horn & Associates, covers roughly 10 centerline miles on the city’s four public streets and extends the city’s usual seven-year analysis to a 10-year planning horizon so staff can align pavement work with longer-term budgeting. He said the city funds pavement work primarily from SB1 (the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017) and Measure M2 proceeds from Orange County’s half-cent transportation sales tax.

“The consultant found a 6.1-point drop in the citywide PCI at the most recent measurement,” City Manager Chris said, noting that structural cracking and rainfall can accelerate pavement decline. He added that the October inspection snapshot did not account for a recent Santa Maria project and that the city has “a little over $1.5 million” in a special revenue fund for SB1-related work.

Why it matters: Council members and staff framed the adoption as a tool to reduce deferred maintenance risk. Staff recommended keeping consultant sequencing but advancing two projects — the westbound lanes of El Toro Road and both sides of Moulton Parkway between El Toro and Via Campo Verde — into the next fiscal year to address segments scoring in the 60s.

Council action: After brief questions and no public comment, Council Member Martin moved the recommended action and the council approved it by voice vote. The resolution as read in the meeting directs staff to adopt the pavement management plan for the next update cycle and to advance the specified fiscal-year projects; the council also found the action exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, per the agenda report.

What’s next: Staff will proceed with the updated plan as adopted and include the advanced projects in the next budget and project schedule. The plan will be updated again per Measure M2 requirements by the end of the fiscal year.