Denton to Prioritize Street Maintenance Over Expansion

Note to readers: this was posted on April 1. While we can all hope this becomes true eventually, it is not yet so.

See below for updated street maintenance information

A street somewhere in Denton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THE CITY OF DENTON SHIFTING INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING TO FOCUS ON MAINTENANCE, FURTHER SYSTEM EXPANSION INDEFINITELY ON HOLD

Today, the City of Denton Department of Finance announces a major shift in the funding and financing of transportation infrastructure throughout the city. The current state of the city’s roadways is poor. Without a sustained and committed focus on maintaining our existing inventory of roadways, current conditions are expected to deteriorate further. Poorly maintained roads are a threat to the economic health, employment opportunities, and overall productivity of Denton’s economy.

In response, all roadway expansion projects are hereby put on indefinite hold. This includes all new bridges, interchanges, frontage roads, and all additional lane miles. Any project that has not already been awarded with a signed contract is included in this order. Transportation and streets departments are directed to reallocate funding earmarked for expansion to bolstering maintenance activities. This includes reassignment of staff from expansion to maintenance within 90 days of this order. It is critical that Denton’s existing transportation systems be properly maintained.

Further, departments seeking transportation funds are hereby required to report annually to the city’s Department of Finance on the status of maintenance of transportation infrastructure throughout their jurisdiction. This report will include (a) an inventory of all transportation infrastructure, (b) its current condition, (c) a full life cycle maintenance and replacement schedule, (d) projected annual outlays, (e) identified funding sources, and (f) anticipated gaps in funding. The Department of Finance will rescind this order, on a case-by-case basis, and allow for system expansion, for projects that demonstrate the long-term financial viability.

Departments that have overbuilt and overcommitted their maintenance resources will not be eligible for additional expansion projects. Exempted from this order are projects that address a safety issue within a district where the resulting traffic speed is less than 30 mph. Denton taxpayers rightly expect that the transportation infrastructure they have paid to build is properly maintained. They also rightly expect that there is a credible long-term plan for its continued maintenance before the system is expanded. This is not a matter of taxing or spending but one of focus. Committing resources to expanding systems when prior commitments on maintenance are ignored is irresponsible governance. It hurts Denton residents. Such actions will no longer be supported by city resources. This order takes effect immediately.