Safe and Secure Communities

Pavement Quality Index -
Performance Measure 1.22

The City of Tempe’s roadways are an important means of transportation for residents, the workforce, students, and visitors. The City of Tempe recognizes the importance of having roadways that are in good condition. To determine the order and priorities of which streets will receive a pavement treatment, a Pavement Quality Index (PQI) score is developed for each street segment, which is measured 0-100 (Poor to Excellent). This measure is used by the City to plan for maintenance and repairs, and to allocate resources in the most efficient way possible. More information about the different pavement treatments types, the current pavement condition and planned resurfacing projects can be found below.

What's on This Page

Current PQI by Street Segment

Pavement Treatments

Planned PQI Projects

Frequently Asked Questions

Measure

Achieve adopted standards for Pavement Quality Index greater than or equal to a citywide average of 70 across all demographic categories.

Why this Measure Matters

Improvements are necessary to ensure accessibility and safety for residents and businesses on Tempe’s streets and to accommodate all modes of traffic including pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicular traffic.

Roadways with a high Pavement Quality Index (PQI) are free of potholes, cracks, and other pavement distresses that contribute to uncomfortable travel conditions. As a result, roadways with a high PQI allow for:

Emergency vehicles traveling more quickly to calls for service
Less damage to the roadways from heavy vehicular traffic
Vehicles experiencing a smoother ride and having less wear and tear on vehicle components
Reduced road noise
Improved vehicle safety and handling while traveling in both wet and dry conditions

It is important to have a roadway network with a high PQI score. This allows the City to take a pavement preservation approach in order to prevent the pavement from getting to a condition where major rehabilitation or reconstruction is needed. The pavement life is extended thus maximizing the value of each dollar spent on the roads. Another important benefit of the pavement preservation approach is since the treatment cost to preserve good roads is substantially less, it enables the preservation of four to 10 times more streets than if we focused on fixing the bad roads first. The deterioration curve chart shown below illustrates why it is so important to preserve good roads. The curve shows that as pavement age, the condition decreases and the cost increase to keep the pavement in a drivable condition.

Regular and routine maintenance for a paved road consists of a Seal Coat (maintenance) every three to five years, and a MicroSeal/Slurry Seal (overlay) every seven to twelve years with an estimated cost of $100,000 per lane per mile. Deferred maintenance results in more expensive rehabilitation ($225,000) or reconstruction ($400,000) per lane per mile. Please see the Pavement Treatments section for more information on treatment types.

Baseline

59 (CY 2016)

Target

70 by CY 2036

Strategies

1. Survey - To make sure the City is making the most up-to-date data driven decisions, each street receives a pavement assessment survey every three years.

All arterials are surveyed in year 1 of the 3-year cycle
All residential and collector streets north of US60 are surveyed in year 2 of the 3-year cycle
All residential and collector streets south of US60 are surveyed in year 3 of the 3-year cycle

2. Project Planning and Prioritization

Focus on residential streets, while still maintaining arterials and collectors.
Leverage opportunities with development
Assign priority: resurfacing is prioritized based on current pavement condition, traffic volume counts, and anticipated deterioration rates
Combine priority: locations are coordinated with other anticipated repairs such as water lines, utilities installation, and other construction

3. Maintenance - in order to prevent the pavement from getting to a condition where major rehabilitation or reconstruction is needed

Utility repairs are inspected to ensure they meet smoothness requirements
Preventative maintenance such as crack sealing, seal coating, pothole repairs, etc. are performed on a periodic basis

Current Pavement Quality Index by Street Segment

To determine the order and priorities of which streets will receive a pavement treatment, Transportation Maintenance utilizes a pavement management system. This system includes performing an assessment via a specialized survey vehicle that is equipped with imaging technology and sensors that scans the pavement and analyzes multiple types of pavement distresses. From this assessment, a PQI score is developed for each street segment, which is measured 0-100 (Poor to Excellent). This assessment is used to determine when, where and how we repave the pavement network in the City of Tempe.

Fast Fact: The City of Tempe Road Network includes 1,321 Lane Miles and 532 Centerline Miles!

Good Condition Arterial Street

Good Condition Local Street

Crack Sealing

Click on any street segment to see the current PQI score.

Pavement Treatments

Tempe employs a range of pavement treatments based on the assessment outcomes. These treatments include the following:

Reconstruction: A comprehensive rebuild of the street. The top layer and the supporting layer(s) underneath are removed. After removal a new supporting and top layer is put in place.

Mill & Overlay: The removal of the top layer (1.5-inch) of a street by the grinding action of a milling machine. After the top layer is removed, a new surface layer of pavement is put in place.

Hot-In-Place Recycle: The removal of the top layer (1.5-inch) of a street by the grinding action of a large milling machine. After the top layer is removed, the supporting layer is recycled by adding new bitumen, scarfing and relaying existing supporting layer. Lastly a new surface layer of pavement is put in place.

Micromill & Microsurfacing: The removal of the top layer (0.25-inch) of a street by the grinding action of a milling machine. After the top layer is removed, a new surface layer of pavement is put in place.

MicroSeal/Slurry Seal: The application of a mixture of water, asphalt emulsion, aggregate (very small crushed rock) and additives to an existing asphalt pavement surface.

Seal Coat: The application of a thin coat of bituminous material applied to the existing pavement surface. The main purpose is to seal the surface of the pavement and prevent water and ultraviolent ray damage.

Rejuvenator Agent: The application of an asphalt rejuvenator to the existing pavement surface. The main purpose is to rejuvenate the existing asphalt binder and slow down the deterioration of the existing surface to prevent water and ultraviolet ray damage.

Rejuvenator Agent (Plus Ti): The application of an asphalt rejuvenator to the existing pavement surface. The main purpose is to rejuvenator the existing asphalt binder to prevent water and ultraviolent ray damage. This rejuvenator leaves a surface that removes nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds and other pollutants introduced into the atmosphere through vehicular exhaust. The air-purifying surface perpetually regenerates itself throughout the life of the pavement, contributing to compliance with U.S. EPA’s stringent new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

Cape Seal: The application of a chip seal treatment, which is then covered by a slurry/microseal or seal coat treatment. Cape seals provide the benefits of both the chip seal and the slurry/microseal or seal coat surfacing treatment, namely sealing moderate cracks, providing skid resistance, sealing the pavement against moisture intrusion, protecting the structure from further oxidation and raveling, and restoring a uniform black appearance.

Crack Seal: The process of sealing cracks with a hot rubberized bitumen sealant to the existing pavement surface. The main purpose is to prevent moisture from finding its way into a road pavement. It may also be used to seal cracks prior to a surface treatment to slow reflective cracking.

Planned Pavement Quality Index (PQI) Projects

City of Tempe streets are re-evaluated every year due to surface conditions that may change due to weather, traffic volume, etc. The conditions are uploaded and updated in the Pavement Management system. Based on the resulting pavement quality index (PQI) ratings, which is measured 0-100 (Poor to Excellent), staff uses these objective measurements of roadway conditions to develop a five-year Capital Improvement Project list.

Note: Please keep in mind that locations that are or are not currently scheduled for resurfacing are subject to be delayed or advanced if future funding allocations are revised, unexpected material price increases occur, material availability is impacted, or utility/agency coordination issues arise.

Click on any street segment to get information about a planned project.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the City evaluate my street’s pavement surface?

The City of Tempe performs a formal evaluation every three years via a specialized survey vehicle that is equipped with imaging technology and sensors that scans the pavement and analyzes multiple types of pavement distresses. The City also periodically reviews the pavement surface in the interim and upon request. This formal evaluation yields what is called a Pavement Quality Index (PQI) score. This is a numerical representation of the quality of the road conditions. This allows the city to make data driven decisions on when where and how to improve/keep the pavement in good condition.

How does the City update the five-year plan?

Each year, we reassess our five-year pavement management plan. We consider the current conditions of the entire pavement network, the available budget, anticipated construction costs and potential underground utility repair conflicts.

We take two different approaches that allows us to be flexible and maximize our funding. Tempe maximizes the use of funds by finding a balance between fixing the bad roads and maintaining the good ones. Much like maintaining a car; we maintain our streets instead of letting them go until it quits prematurely due to no maintenance. The preventive maintenance approach allows maximum utilization of funds to maintain the streets that are still considered to be in good condition and rehabilitate other sections that need replacement also. We do a combination of removing and replacing pavements on some of the lowest-scoring streets, along with a preventative approach where we extend the life of streets that are in good condition.

How do I find out when my street will be resurfaced?

The City of Tempe maintains a map that identifies locations that are planned for resurfacing. Please see the Planned PQI Projects Map.

My street is not showing up to be resurfaced on the map. How do I request for my street to receive a pavement treatment?

Please contact our Tempe 311 Center at 480-350-4311 or tempe.gov/311

My street is identified to be resurfaced. When can I expect work to begin?

Exact work dates are generally available about one month prior to work beginning. A notice to each property affected by a project will be distributed approximately 72 hours prior to work starting as a general notification that your street has been identified for treatment.

There is a street that was recently completed and will receive another treatment before my street receives anything. Why is this?

As part of the City of Tempe Transportation’s strategic long-range plan to improve pavement condition in the City and to reach a pavement quality index (PQI) score of 70, we must preserve the pavements by sealing the existing pavement surface while it is still fairly new and in good condition. We do realize that sealing newer pavements may cause other pavements in worst condition to be untreated, but in order to meet our goal of improving the entire City of Tempe pavement network score, we must take this approach. The City of Tempe adopts a “preventative maintenance” approach to pavement management instead of a “worst-first” only approach. The "worst-first" only approach is not economically feasible for pavement management. The key is the right road, right treatment at right time. A “worst-first” approach would yield to repaving a very limited miles of roadway because it is very expensive to repave those type roads. Simultaneously other stretches of roadway that are currently in good condition would fall into dis-repair and be expensive to fix later on. Therefore, Tempe maximizes the use of funds by finding a balance between fixing the bad roads and maintaining the good ones. Much like maintaining a car; we maintain our streets instead of letting them go until the street fails prematurely due to no maintenance. The preventive maintenance approach allows maximum utilization of funds in order to maintain the streets that are still considered to be in good condition and rehabilitate other sections that need replacement also.

My street is in poor condition but does not have a pavement treatment scheduled. Shouldn’t it be a priority?

It is not always best to schedule everything in poor condition for immediate repaving, and this is the difficult part of prioritizing pavement management when sufficient funding does not exist to address all areas in poor condition. Streets in poor condition are the costliest to bring back to an acceptable level. The approach in the pavement management industry employed across multiple agencies across the country, is to use the limited repaving budget to save other roads in better condition, using less costly methods. Maintaining those roads early before they get to poor condition will ensure they last longer and never reach that poor condition rating your street may be experiencing. This approach will maximize the maintenance dollars available and get more roads repaired quicker. The City does recognize the need to completely remove asphalt and replace it on poor condition roads; and, is committed to doing so as they get closer to reaching the end of their useful life. Studies in the pavement industry have shown that a dollar spent in the early years of a pavement’s life can give the same improvement as four dollars spent later in the road’s life when repairs are more expensive because reconstruction is necessary. If available funding is spent only on the worst roads, the City will stay in a cycle where we can afford only to mill and overlay/reconstruct a very few amount roads in each year while neglecting simple, lower cost routine maintenance on other roads. If we concentrate on the worst roads, we will never catch up, because we won't be maintaining the streets already in good condition. By spending strategically, we can continually improve the overall condition of streets with the same amount of funds.

My street has a PQI score lower than other streets that are scheduled in the five-year plan. Why are they scheduled to be repaved before my street?

A street scheduled ahead of another lower PQI scored street is due to the cost of the location, its current condition, and scheduling it in a manner so it can be completed within the budget assigned for a fiscal year. The key to good pavement management is repairing and maintaining roads that are still in fair or higher condition but starting to exhibit signs of early stages of pavement distress. Maintaining those roads early before they get to poor condition will ensure they last longer and never reach that poor condition rating your street may be experiencing. This approach will maximize the maintenance dollars available and get more roads repaired quicker. The City does recognize the need to completely remove asphalt and replace it on poor condition roads. Each year, the City goes through the process of assessing our five-year pavement management plan and scheduling locations that warrant repaving within the budget limits. We consider the current conditions of the entire pavement network, the available budget, anticipated construction costs and potential underground utility repair conflicts.

Can I request the City to accelerate the repaving of my street?

Yes, the City will take a closer look at your location of concern and determine if there are adequate resources available to accelerate the paving of the location of concern. Please contact our Tempe 311 Center at 480-350-4311 or  tempe.gov/311 to make this request.

I would prefer my street receive a different treatment. Can my neighborhood ask to receive something other than what the location is scheduled to receive?

If you have questions or comments about the pavement treatment that has been identified for your neighborhood, please contact our Tempe 311 Center at 480-350-4311 or tempe.gov/311