Engineer details RSR ratings, utility delays and $1 million allotment for Lowell resurfacing

The Lowell City Neighborhood Subcommittee heard from city engineer Dave Piari, who described how the city prioritizes paving and why some streets wait years for resurfacing.

Piari said the city uses an RSR rating (from an outside contractor) as the primary qualifier for resurfacing and maintains a five-year list of pavement-restoration, sidewalk and full-reconstruction projects. He said projects are often postponed where gas-line work by National Grid or combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) infrastructure work is planned.

Using Meadowcroft Street as an example, Piari outlined a sequence of water-main breaks, gas repairs, permits and wastewater work that stretched from early 2024 through parts of 2025 and 2026, repeatedly delaying resurfacing until utilities and right-of-way permissions were resolved.

Piari said engineers try to fit sidewalk repairs into existing multi-year contracts when possible and that maps (RSR, National Grid and project maps) exist but may not yet be combined into a single public view; he agreed to investigate ways to make the information more searchable.

On funding, Piari said, “This year, our budget is 1000000 dollars, and we're gonna do, only 1000000 dollars,” and added that roughly $9,000,000 has been appropriated for French Street work, concentrating resources on that corridor this year.

Councilors pressed for a clearer, non-subjective ranking methodology and for combining maps so residents can see why a specific street has been delayed. Piari said he would investigate and provide further information.

The subcommittee received the update; no formal vote was taken on paving policy during the meeting.

The meeting adjourned after the presentation.