Richardson | January 2026

Transportation

BY ISABELLA ZEFF

Richardson street strategy balances reconstruction, repairs

arterial streets—major roadways that may see up to 50,000 drivers a day—in order to keep them in good condition. Construction for roads in fair condition focuses on localized repair, replacing a panel or half-panel of concrete at a time, in order to upgrade that street into a “good street.” What else Funding for localized repair and preventative maintenance on fair and good streets usually comes from other city funding sources rather than a bond. The city transfers a portion of property tax revenue to a street project reserve fund. However, Magner recommended that the 2026 bond include $25 million for localized concrete replacement on 16 fair streets and one neighborhood, which he said would create an opportunity to catch up on the repairs needed across the city. The bond would put $5 million a year toward concrete replacement, a significant increase compared to what has been spent on those repairs in past years. This would also free up city funding for other uses if needed, Magner said. “We’re really trying to leverage and maximize the bond program and to be able to address some of those responsibilities so that we can relieve some of the pressures that they’re currently placing on our general fund year after year,” Magner said. Another thing For neighborhood street repairs, Magner said, Richardson uses a zone approach rather than ranking those streets individually.

Richardson will prioritize full street recon- struction as well as localized concrete repair in the upcoming $223 million bond. City manager Don Magner presented his final bond project recommendations to City Council on Dec. 15, recommending $114.6 million in total for a variety of street and alley projects. The rec- ommendations are based on Richardson’s larger street repair strategy, in which the city ranks the condition of streets in order to determine their construction needs. Breaking it down The city places streets into three classes based on pavement condition: good, fair or in need of total reconstruction. Streets that need total reconstruction—curb- to-curb, full-depth, waterline and sewer replace- ment—are treated with localized “triage” repairs to keep them as safe and drivable as possible until they’re able to make it into a bond package, Magner said. West Shore Drive is one of these streets, with its ongoing construction funded by the 2021 bond. “The street has gotten to the condition that the only thing that is going to help it is a complete rebuild. There’s nothing to salvage,” Magner said. “Part of our strategy is every bond program we’re trying to include as many of those streets as possible.” His recommendation for the 2026 bond program includes 15 reconstruction projects. For good streets, the city focuses on preven- tative maintenance, Magner said, which could include sealing cracks, leveling or spot repair. Magner said the city does consistent work on

Richardson road condition

A citywide pavement condition assessment completed in 2020 rated Richardson road conditions on a scale of 0-100. The average score was 59.

Pavement condition index range

Number of roads on proposed 2026 bond package

Road condition

0-25

Poor

26-50

Fair

51-75

Satisfactory

76-100

Good

SOURCE: CITY OF RICHARDSON/COMMUNITY IMPACT

“If we’re doing this zone, we’re going to go in that neighborhood, every single street, and we’re going to make every single repair,” Magner said. “Every piece of that asphalt’s going to be replaced. And when we leave that neighbor- hood zone, we know every street’s in a good condition.” This keeps construction costs lower and allows the city to get more repairs done, Magner said. What’s next City Council will continue to refine the bond program in January and plans to call the bond election by Feb. 9. After that, the city will focus on public education on the bond until the May 2 election.

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