Some Street Repairs Unneeded, Study Says

Premature aging is not looked upon favorably in this town. Even when it comes to street pavements.

A consultant hired by the City Council’s Public Works Committee found the process of cutting and patching Los Angeles streets causes them to age before their time. This faster decomposition of the pavement costs the city more than $16 million a year in extra repair costs, the consultant said.

Therefore, a committee vote Monday urged an ordinance that would impose a street damage restoration fee on any city agency or utility company that cut into pavement for the installation or service of equipment.

The proposed ordinance, due to be considered for City Council approval Jan. 13, would apply only to pavement up to 25 years old.

To additionally protect newly repaved streets, the ordinance states that if an agency or company cuts into pavement that is less than a year old, a simple patch will not be acceptable. The entire street, from one cross street to the next, would have to be repaved.

Utility companies and developers opposed the ordinance, saying the city should instead require that patching be done correctly.

But street consultant Mohammed Shahin, who did the study for the committee, said no matter how well a patch is installed, a street is weakened when it is cut into. His study showed that the cut-and-patch process shortens a street’s life by six to nine years.

City officials suggested a fee range of $3.43 to $14.08 per foot, depending on the age of the pavement.