Morning, gang.
Last week we launched a new recurring feature, Postmark Greensboro, and the feedback we’ve received so far has us excited to bring you further installments.
This week we’re debuting another new series: By The Numbers. We’ll look at some of the many complex issues facing the city and break them down with key numbers from primary documents and insight from experts.
Our first installment is on the uphill battle to maintain the city’s streets, roads, and bridges—and will make you look at your commute with fresh eyes.
By The Numbers: Roads Edition
On Greensboro’s officially non-partisan city council, there’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot: “There’s not a Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole.”
But one way or another, those potholes do need to be fixed.
If you’ve driven on the streets of Greensboro recently, you’ll have noticed many are—to be charitable—not in great shape. If, like me, you’re occasionally navigating those city streets on a bike or motorcycle, you may arrive at your destination with a more colorful, less publishable description.
At this evening’s city council meeting, the council will consider a $9.6 million resurfacing contract with Blythe Construction—the first investment of the budget year that started just last month in addressing the problem. The Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) is hoping for another, similarly sized contract in the spring. But last year’s Pavement Condition Survey, presented to the council in November, makes it clear that’s not enough to fix the problem. It’s not even enough to keep the already poor condition of the city’s transportation infrastructure from getting worse.
Today we’re taking a By The Numbers look at current conditions and what it takes to maintain and improve one of the city’s greatest assets—its municipal network of streets, roads, and bridges. (Source: Greensboro Department of Transportation)
18.3 million – Total pavement square yards of the streets and roads in Greensboro. That includes about 1,091 centerline miles (total length regardless of number of lanes) and 2,433 lane miles (the centerline miles multiplied by the number of lanes). That makes Greensboro’s municipal network the third largest in North Carolina, an asset valued at over $1 billion.
61 – Greensboro’s average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score, on a scale from 0 to 100. The report card for road conditions, the PCI gives an overview of the condition of roads in a municipality. A score of 61 puts Greensboro firmly in the “poor” end of the scale, which ranges from 26 to 65.
Greensboro’s score puts it well beneath larger cities like Raleigh (83) and Charlotte (82) but also peer cities like Winston-Salem (83), and much smaller municipalities like Chapel Hill (78) and Hickory (66).
56 – Percentage of Greensboro streets and roads that score “poor” or “very poor.” Just over ten percent are rated fair, 21 percent “good” and 12 percent “very good.”
74 – The sufficiency rating (out of 100) for the city’s bridges and sidewalks, which use the same funding for resurfacing as city streets. Greensboro’s sufficiency rating places it beneath larger cities like Charlotte (85) and Raleigh (82.4), peer cities like Durham (88.7) and Winston Salem (75.9), and even much smaller municipalities like Wilmington (79.9) and Fayetteville (87.8).
54 – The average age of Greensboro’s bridges. That’s about four years older than the average age of bridges in peer cities. A GDOT table comparing eight municipalities shows only Winston-Salem (66) and Fayetteville (60) had older average ages for their bridges.
“It comes down to what your community is willing to invest in maintenance,” said Hanna Cockburn, director of the Greensboro Department of Transportation.
Cockburn’s department estimates it now takes about $16 million a year just to maintain the current condition. As of last year, the city was putting $7.5 million a year toward those efforts.
“We’re grateful that the state continues to provide access to Powell Bill funds, which are state-allocated,” Cockburn said. “Funds that come out of the state gas tax that are provided to municipalities, and that’s based on a formula—population and center line road miles. But the Powell Bill—and this is just my perspective on it—was never intended to ensure that your road system was in excellent condition. It assumes that there’s a local funding commitment that goes hand in hand with it.”
—Joe Killian
If you like what you see, please consider telling a friend to sign up.
Robbie Perkins Back in the Game
Last month, we brought you a story looking forward to next year’s Greensboro City Council election, which could see as many as six seats on the nine-member council turnover all at once.
Since then, a major name has thrown his hat into the ring for what could be a crowded mayoral race. Former Mayor Robbie Perkins, who left the council after losing to current Mayor Nancy Vaughan in 2013, is the first candidate to officially announce he’s running.
The Thread caught up with Perkins to ask about his return to city politics after more than a decade and why he’s calling his shot more than a year out.
“When Nancy Vaughan said she wasn’t going to run again, it surprised me like it did everyone else,” Perkins said. “Greensboro is at an inflection point and needs a strong leader as mayor. We’re in a good position to move forward. I knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t give it a shot.”
Read our full Q&A with Perkins here.
—Joe Killian
Not a subscriber yet? Good journalism is expensive – and we need your support to do more of it. For just $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll unlock full access to our archives and help us grow in 2023.
Already a subscriber? Consider giving the gift of The Assembly to a friend.
What We’re Reading
Mother’s Milk: Nationally, only about 10 percent of all lactation consultants are Black. The number of Black mothers with new babies is much larger—21.5 percent in North Carolina in 2022. A recent conference at N.C. A&T University highlighted the importance of breastfeeding to communities of color. N.C. Health News reports.
Fulfilling Desires for Food and Fellowship: Triad City Beat has the story behind Greensboro’s disCOURSE dining series, which brings together female chefs and local women.
Full Disclosure: Last December, Kristina Singleton—director of the city’s embattled Interactive Resource Center for unhoused people—was arrested and charged with stealing items from a local Target. She avoided saying anything about it publicly until last week, when she published a public letter in the News & Record.
Read this newsletter online or contact The Thread team with tips and feedback at greensboro@theassemblync.com.
Recent Greensboro Stories
The Greensboro City Council Is About To Get A Lot of New Faces
Big changes could be in store with at least four, and possibly six, current members departing next year.
Objects Can’t Lie
A Greensboro museum has been working to return artifacts taken from Japan during World War II, part of a broader movement to repatriate items taken from foreign countries.
North Carolina A&T Names Its Next Leader
The UNC System Board of Governors has named James R. Martin II, a current vice chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh, as the new leader of the country’s largest HBCU.
Around the State
10 Things To Know About Roy Cooper, Potential Pick for Vice President
North Carolina’s two-term Democratic governor is seen as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris. Here’s what you need to know about him.
UNC Frats Get Center Stage At RNC
The Trump campaign invited members of UNC fraternities who protected the flag to the Republican National Convention. Not everyone was enthused.
NCSU’s Randy Woodson Announces Retirement
The popular administrator stayed in his post nearly three times longer than most college leaders. Now the UNC System must undertake yet another chancellor search.
The Assembly is a digital magazine covering power and place in North Carolina. Sent this by a friend? Subscribe to The Greensboro Thread or to our statewide newsletter.
You must be logged in to post a comment.