Arlington voters could decide the future of a quarter-cent sales tax dedicated to improving streets in May.
City Council members must ask residents to approve continuing the street maintenance tax that is set to expire this year. They plan to discuss putting the measure on the ballot next month.
The tax, which has been in place since 2002, is expected to net about $26 million for roads this year. City officials say that’s not enough to fight a $30 million gap needed to maintain the current street conditions.
Arlington’s existing network comprises more than 3,000 lane miles. Over 600 miles, or just over 20%, are in worse than fair condition, director of public works Keith Brooks told council members Jan. 6.
How does Arlington calculate a street’s condition?
Contractors analyze the condition of one-third of Arlington’s streets each year, grading them on a 0-100 scale.
Green streets – those graded above 70.
Yellow streets – those graded above 50 but below 70.
Red streets – those graded below 50.
To see a comprehensive map of the street conditions across Arlington, click here.
Arlington budgeted $343 million from bond funds and sales tax revenue for street maintenance over the past five years, according to city data.
This year, the city budgeted more than $58 million for street repairs.
The quarter-cent sales tax was introduced in 2002, passing with 74% of the vote in a special election.
Until 2018, the last time it appeared on the ballot, the tax required a renewal every four years. Now, renewal is needed every eight years.
Over the past eight years, Arlington’s street conditions worsened, officials said.
Each year, about 56 miles of streets graded yellow will drop to red — those in the worst condition — should the current funding remain, Brooks said.
In 2027, city officials expect to budget about $90 million for street maintenance with an increase to $97 million the following year.
To keep street conditions from dropping to red, the city needs an additional $30 million, officials said.
“Trying to make up for that $30 million gap is a challenge,” Brooks told council members.
City Manager Trey Yelverton said the main revenue streams for street maintenance — the sales tax brought in through business and bond funding — could grow in order to fill that gap.
Money for roads in future bond elections would need to focus on red streets in residential areas, Brooks said. Such streets make up 81% of red roadways in Arlington, according to public works data.
“When you have red streets, there comes a point where there’s not a whole lot more maintenance you can do,” Brooks said. “You can do a full street overhaul, and that’s where the bond elections come in and help us.”
Much of the dollars raised through the street maintenance sales tax are spent on yellow streets to prevent further degradation, he added.
When asked by council member Barbara Odom-Wesley why the condition of Arlington streets continue to worsen, Brooks said much of the city’s infrastructure is decades old and built all at once.
“All of those roads are starting to age and starting to get older all at the same time,” Brooks said. “And you only have so much funding to fix it every year. That’s the challenge. That’s the puzzle we’re trying to solve.”
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.
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