Public Works oversees the maintenance of 865 miles of streets. Without regular resurfacing treatments, a street could end up costing the City four times more over the course of its life cycle. As approved by city officials and voters, Public Works’ goal is to achieve and maintain a Pavement Condition Index score (PCI) of 70. This target will take streets from the “at-risk” to a more cost-effective “good”.

The estimated cost to achieve and maintain a PCI of 70 is $816 million over the next 10 years. The Plan recommends fully funding this need, with $693 million coming from the General Fund, and the remainder from a combination of federal, state, and other local sources.

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires local entities to develop a transition plan specifically for curb ramps. The City is committed to improving curb ramps and providing accessible paths of travel for people with disabilities. This project complements the installation of new ramps (see the Enhancements section below for additional details) by ensuring sufficient funds for maintaining previously installed ramps.

The estimated cost for curb ramp inspection and replacement is $16 million over the next 10 years. Given funding constraints, the Plan allocates $9 million from the General Fund towards this need.

As the City converts more paved areas into green space, Public Works needs capacity to maintain these areas to ensure that the investments last and that medians and other landscape spaces are kept in great condition. There are irrigation systems at 67 landscaped medians across the City.

The estimated cost for median maintenance is $147 million over the next 10 years. Given funding constraints, the Plan allocates $57 million from the General Fund towards this need, in addition to $50 million expected from the State.

Public Works is responsible for maintaining fourteen plazas throughout the City, including: Blanken Bayshore, Embarcadero, Hallidie, Harvey Milk, Justin Herman, Mechanics, Mendell, Organ, United Nations, Civic Center, Tutubi, McCoppin Hub, Bartlett, and Corbett Community Garden. These plazas require annual inspection to determine the extent of any repairs that may be required.

The estimated cost for plaza inspection and repair is $22 million over the next 10 years. Given funding constraints, the Plan allocates $13 million from the General Fund towards this need.

Public Works maintains sidewalks in three ways. First, the Bureau of Urban Forestry maintains sidewalks around city-maintained street trees. Second, the Bureau of Street Use & Mapping executes the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program; its goal is to inspect and repair every block on a 25-year cycle. Finally, Bureau of Street Mapping also has a reactive program called the Accelerated Sidewalk Abatement Program, which inspects locations based on complaints and issues notices of violation to property owners in order to compel them to repair their dangerous sidewalks.

The estimated cost for sidewalk improvements and repair is $37 million over the next 10 years. The Plan fully funds this need, with $14 million coming from the General Fund, and the remainder from the State, and other local sources.

The Capital Plan provides a strategy for the maintenance and renewal of 364 street structures including retaining walls, stairs, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, underpasses and overpasses, plus numerous guardrails throughout the City. Work performed under this program includes general maintenance and major repairs of city street structures to maintain safety, proper operations of moveable bridges, and minimize long-term renewal costs. For this Plan, two major projects in this category include the Islais Creek and 4th Street bridges.

The estimated cost for the Islais Creek Bridge project is $45 million, with $5.4 million being funded by the General Fund, and $39 million from a Federal grant. The estimated cost for the 4th Street Bridge project is $22 million, with $2.6 million being funded by the General Fund, and $20 million from a Federal grant.
The estimated cost for other street structure repair is $67 million over the next 10 years. Given funding constraints, the Plan allocates $40 million from the General Fund towards this need.

By FY2018, Public Works will be responsible for maintaining approximately 121,000 street trees. Public Works will have the resources to maintain street trees on an average three-to-five-year cycle, inspect all street trees annually, and make sidewalk repairs on a similar cycle. Additionally, the City anticipates replacing approximately four percent of trees each year as a result of typical tree mortality, disease, or vandalism.

The estimated cost for street tree planting, establishment, and maintenance is $250.5 million over the next 10 years. The Plan fully funds this need, with $219.9 million from the General Fund, in addition to $30.6 million expected from State and other local sources.

Many Hetchy Power infrastructure, facilities, and equipment have reached their end of their life expectancy. The Capital Plan provides funding for various generation renewal and replacement projects at the Holm, Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses. These projects include upgrades to the powerhouse protection, control, monitoring systems, equipment replacement and upgrades.

The Capital Plan also includes rehabilitation of transmission lines and distribution systems, which consist of reliability projects to address regulatory requirements. Typical projects in this program include replacement of insulators, switches, tower infrastructure, grounding and protection. Distribution system projects include upgrades to distribution lines, dry transformers, distribution substations; disconnect switches, breakers, protection, and metering.

Failure of the collection system will reduce the City’s ability to handle and dispose of wastewater and stormwater which can lead to public health, safety and environmental risks and non-compliance with the State of California’s discharge permit. This program maintains the existing functionality of the sewage collection system and includes planned and emergency repairs and replacement of structurally inadequate sewers.

The estimated annual cost for sewer replacement beginning in FY2018 is approximately $60 million and increases to $88 million by FY2027 allowing the renewal and replacement of approximately 15 miles of sewer per year.

The Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS) will increase the safety response capacity of the Fire Department following a major earthquake and during multiple-alarm fires from other causes. This project includes improvements to or expansion of EFWS pipelines, tunnels, and physical plant.

For project financial information, please see the Public Safety chapter of this Plan.

This program will provide upgrades to the Transmission System including pipeline inspection and repairs, valve replacements, metering upgrades, corrosion protection to extend the useful life of the pipelines, pump station upgrades and vault upgrades.

Included is $157 million funding for Pipeline Improvement Program over the next 10 years to replace or slip-line up to 10 miles of pipelines in densely populated areas to improve operational reliability and reduce liability.