FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                             

March 10, 2016

Contacts:
League of California Cities: Eva Spiegel, (916) 658-8228
California State Association of Counties: Gregg Fishman, (916) 327-7500

Sacramento — The County Engineers Association of California and the Public Works Officers’ Institute today announced the winners of the 2016 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards at their annual spring meeting in Sacramento. Local governments being recognized include the cities of Cupertino and Santa Cruz and the counties of Placer and Los Angeles.

Sponsored by the League of California Cities®, California State Association of Counties® (CSAC) and County Engineers Association of California (CEAC), the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards Program honors best practices in road projects that can be replicated by other jurisdictions. The awards also acknowledge cities and counties that promote fiscal and environmental sustainability in the local transportation system.

“Transportation funding is a major issue statewide right now,” said Matt Machado, Stanislaus County director of Public Works and president of the County Engineers Association. “So we’re recognizing these cities and counties for completing great projects that enhance safety, traffic flow, and the environment at a time when funding is extremely tight.”

“It is encouraging to see the Legislature debating how to create a stable statewide transportation funding plan. In this process there has been a focus on transparency and accountability and that is exactly what these award-winning local projects exemplify,” said Culver City Public Works Director Charles Herbertson, chair of the Local Streets and Roads Awards Committee. “The winning counties and cities and finalists are examples of how local governments are wisely investing tax payer dollars in projects that improve the transportation system and better our communities.”

Los Angeles County is the Overall Winner for the Angeles Forest Highway Project: A joint effort between Los Angeles County and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Angeles Forest Highway Project showcases the benefits of properly applying a sustainable approach to road rehabilitation. A scenic mountain route with access to hiking and equestrian trails, the Angeles Forest Highway is the main connection between the Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. Sixteen and a half miles of roadway in poor condition with areas of severe structural deficiency needed to be brought to current standards. Cold-in-place recycling (CIR) was used to rehabilitate the roadway. Recycling the existing asphalt in-place eliminated the need to remove existing pavement from the project location and import a conventional hot mix asphalt to replace it. The CIR process resulted in reduced environmental impacts and road closures, shortened construction time, and protected our natural resources by mitigating the need to quarry tons of virgin aggregate materials.

The City of Cupertino is being awarded the Efficient and Sustainable Road and Bridge Preservation, Maintenance and Construction and Reconstruction Project prize: Cupertino’s 139 centerline miles of street network includes 103 miles of residential streets, 21 miles of collector streets and 15 miles of arterial streets. The city managed its roads by proactively and routinely conducting asphalt maintenance projects to ensure preservation of the $340 million network. A sustainable strategy, based upon consistent use of sustainable products and close project coordination, has helped Cupertino save time, money and natural resources, while also reduce inconveniences to residents and businesses. This effort also enabled the city to focus on enhancing active transportation. From FY 2013-14 through FY 2015-16, 4.8 miles of bike buffers and 5.6 lane miles were narrowed to accommodate bike buffers, provide additional on-street parking, and improve safety for all road users. The city projects that its street network Pavement Condition Index will increase to 80 by 2019.

Placer County won the award in the Complete Streets and Multi-Modal Mobility Project category for the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project: Located along the north shore of Lake Tahoe in Placer County, the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project was a major public infrastructure investment that sought to revitalize the Kings Beach lake shore community. The project includes intermodal and roadway safety enhancements coupled with complete street infrastructure and streetscape improvements. It was designed to help trigger private redevelopment projects and provide multi-modal benefits that will increase and enhance transportation options within the community and beyond by creating enhanced public transit connectivity for the North Lake Tahoe region. The project also helps the community’s disadvantaged groups with improved and more affordable transportation options, local services and employment opportunities.

The City of Santa Cruz won the award in the Safety or Intelligent Transportation Systems Projects Category for the Santa Cruz Beach Area Roundabouts: Pacific Avenue serves as a crucial link between downtown Santa Cruz and the beach area, including the Boardwalk and the Municipal Wharf. The city’s plan recommended the construction of two roundabouts on Pacific Avenue at Center Street and Beach Street. The intersection modifications improve traffic flow, bike and pedestrian access and safety, and support the city’s climate action goals to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases. The roundabouts create a very attractive gateway to Monterey Bay, while addressing multi-modal safety and efficiency well into the future. Both roundabouts feature the area’s common marine life in art work. The Pacific-Center roundabout incorporates the main entrance to Depot Park, while the Pacific-Beach roundabout has a railroad through the northern side, a cycle-track on the southern side, and the entrance-exit gates to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.

For more information visit www.SaveCaliforniaStreets.org.

                                                         ###