Fullerton residents can expect more of their streets to undergo repairs over the course of next year after city council members unanimously allocated $4 million to fix more roads.

For years, poor road conditions has been one the chief complaints raised by residents throughout the city — including during public comment at city council meetings. 

The main project for next year is a two-mile section of State College Boulevard that runs northbound from Yorba Linda Boulevard to Fullerton’s city limits.

Another section the city aims to tackle is a three-mile collection of residential streets off Euclid Street, known as the Rancho-Verona-Yucca Area.

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According to the resolution, both of these projects are expected to undergo complete surface repavement and will be paid for with the gas tax-funded Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation fund. Upgrades are also expected to include improved curbs and gutters, new access ramps, and new traffic striping and signage.

The Rancho-Verona-Yucca Area that’s expected for street improvements. Credit: City of Fullerton

These proposed repairs are the newest in Fullerton’s efforts to overhaul what some residents view as notoriously damaged roads.

“I think we can all agree there is no topic in Fullerton more frustrating than streets,” Fullerton resident Karen Lloreda said during the council’s meeting on April 21.

During that meeting, Councilmember Ahmad Zahra questioned why staff didn’t recommend more street repairs for other major roads — similar to those expected for State College Boulevard.

“It was my understanding a few years ago that we were going to push to get our arterials all done in a quick and timely manner,” Zahra said.

“It’s been eight years for me,” he said. “We haven’t completed those.”

Zahra also pointed out that a potential road repair project on Commonwealth Avenue has been continuously delayed due to water main repairs. Those upgrades were initially scheduled to be completed by this summer.

City Engineer David Grantham, who presented the proposed repairs to the Fullerton City Council, said that water main construction is scheduled to begin next summer.

“A lot of that has to do with following the water programming and water funding and how they’re getting their projects done,” Grantham said.

Grantham’s additional reasoning behind any street repair delays was to ensure that any fixes could be done all at once, rather than “piecemealing” repairs.

Zahra said the delays have been upsetting for some residents.

“This has been very frustrating for a lot of the residents who live along [Commonwealth] to see their neighbors just down the road get their roads fixed,” Zahra said.

Cars drive down Harbor Blvd. in Downtown Fullerton on Oct. 5, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

None of the other council members spoke on the agenda item during the meeting, but some Fullerton residents voiced ongoing concerns in regard to the city’s damaged streets.  

“We want to make sure not one cent is lost that might be available to us,” Lloreda said at the council’s meeting in April.

“The reality is we don’t have the money to do them all,” she continued.

The funding concerns stem from the city’s ongoing budget crisis, when officials discovered $10 million in their reserves were misplaced.

Auditors are now expected to take a hard look at the city’s finances after a budget update in March revealed that the $10 million that was part of $26 million in reserves was money actually allocated for other projects or in other funds.

That leaves the city with $16 million in savings while facing an expected $13.7 million deficit. 

[Read: Fullerton Hires Accounting Firm to Review $10 Million Budget Flap]

Even with approval of these road repairs over the next few years, some residents remain frustrated about whether the city’s decision is effectively going to improve their road conditions.

Officials explain the strategy is to coordinate repairs with water projects and secure funding, but that approach has overall slowed progress on some of the city’s busiest roads.

Although the newly-approved projects signal continued efforts to address the issue, officials acknowledge that without additional funding and streamlined timelines, many of Fullerton’s streets will remain in need of repair. 

The Rancho-Verona-Yucca Area has begun construction and will be completed by fall 2027. The main State College Boulevard project construction is expected to begin in fall 2027 and is proposed for completion by the following winter.

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