Street Maintenance
How do I get a pothole fixed?
Call Street Services customer assistance at 808-1888.
Please be prepared to give size and location details.
Generally repairs are completed within two to three
days depending on the severity of the damage.
How do I get cracked asphalt on my street fixed?
Call Street Services customer assistance at 808-1888.
Please provide detailed location and problem. A district
supervisor will inspect and arrange for necessary
repairs.
When is my street scheduled to be resurfaced?
Both from an industry standpoint and from an
internal planning standpoint, our goal is to resurface
every street in the City every ten to twelve years.
In general we have kept up with this goal with a
few exceptions. Please call our customer service
number for additional information.
What are all the ugly squiggly lines on my street
for?
Water is the number one enemy of a street and
combating or reducing the opportunity for water to
penetrate our streets is an important mission. When
streets begin to crack, it is important to seal those
cracks with a material that halts the ability for
water to penetrate the street. Usually crack sealing
is done one to three years prior to a more significant
level of maintenance or resurfacing job. Although
some residents oppose crack sealing for aesthetic
reasons, the importance and value of crack sealing
streets is enormous.
A crew was on my street last year paving, why
are you resurfacing it again this year?
Streets that are scheduled to be resurfaced generally
need significant prep work provided first. In some
cases the amount of prep work is extensive and residents
on occasion don't realize that it is only prep work.
The final product however may be a slurry seal or
cape seal applied one year following the prep work.
Can we have speed humps installed when you resurface
my street since you're already out here?
The City's speed humps program is completely
separate from our resurfacing program. All requests
for speed humps are investigated and prioritized
by our Traffic Engineering unit and speed humps are
only included during our resurfacing projects if
they existed already along a segment of roadway.
For more information about speed humps, please call
808-8300.
Why is my street getting resurfaced now it doesn't
look that bad really?
There are various levels of resurfacing needs.
The industry standard is to slurry seal a street
approximately seven years after it is constructed.
The purpose is to seal the street against water and
further extend the life of the asphalt. Clearly the
budget we use does not allow for us to routinely
seal streets within seven years of construction,
but on occasion we do find the funding for this level
of preventive maintenance although the street may
look just fine to the residents.
Traffic Signals
Where do I report a Traffic Signal malfunction?
Please contact the Traffic Signal Shop at 808-6314
and give exact location of the signal(s).
Why is the City changing the current traffic
signals to LEDs (light emitting diodes)?
LED displays use much less electricity and last
8 years longer than traditional light bulbs. The
outcome is a reduced energy consumption and overall
reduction to our energy budget. This allows the dollars
saved to be spent making other important improvements
.
If I blink my high beams rapidly will the signal
turn green for me?
No. The signals are set to allow emergency vehicles
the right of way so they may get to their destination
as quickly as possible. The kits advertised on the
internet will not work in Sacramento .
How does the traffic signal know I am waiting
for a green light?
At most intersections there is a coil of wire
beneath the pavement as you approach the signals.
These coils detect the metal mass of your car. Some
intersections have a camera that can tell when a
car passes a certain point in the road. It then sends
that information to the controller to let it know
there is a demand from that direction.
Why do I have to sit and wait for some signals
even when there is no traffic in the opposing direction?
In the downtown area and at a select few signals throughout the City the signals run a fixed time cycle that serves all directions regardless of traffic demand. Other intersections the vehicles are detected by either underground traffic loops or video detection. When the underground loops are compromised usually by some type of construction or saw cutting in the street we must manually recall the signal so it will serve traffic in that direction. As soon as the loops are repaired the signal should work properly. The City is now installing video detection which will eliminate this problem all together.
Why can't we get a new signal at my intersection?
It is very dangerous in my opinion.
Traffic signals are studied and investigated
by Traffic Engineering to see if a location meets
the state and federal warrants for prescribing a
new signal. Once a location meets the necessary warrants,
it is placed on a priority list and ranked using
specific criteria. Street Services only provides
the maintenance and repair of these signals, not
the installation of new signals.
Why do the some signals have pedestrian lights
(the walk and don't walk symbol displays) and others
don't?
All new intersections are designed with pedestrian crossing signals (walk - don't walk indications). Some older intersections use the vehicle signals to indicate to pedestrian when the crossing is allowable. Many intersections are being retro-fitted to add pedestrian signals.
Why are some corridors in the City favorable
for driving the speed limit (like downtown) and in
other areas it doesn't matter what I do I seem to
always get stopped by red lights?
Signal progression using fiber optic or video
communication is getting more and more widespread.
We continue to have many corridors that are not equipped
to provide signal progression yet. All of the signals
in the downtown area are fixed time which makes progression
a purely mathematical solution. With appropriate
resources and funding, the City will continue to
upgrade corridors to include fiber or video for progression
to ease the traffic frustrations that can result
from being stopped by red lights arbitrarily.
Street Lighting
My streetlight is out. What should I do?
Contact the Street Lighting Shop at 808-6313
with the address that the light is closest to. Please
notice if there is a single light out or if several
are out. Our mission is to replace burned out streetlights
within 48 hours of receiving the call except on weekends.
If the problem is greater than just a burned out
bulb, a technician will be assigned to repair the
light within four weeks.
Why are some streetlights white and some orange
looking?
Different styles of light work at different color
temperatures. The white looking lights use a Mercury
Vapor or Metal Halite lamp while the orange looking
lights use a High Pressure Sodium lamp.
Why do I see some streetlights going on and off?
This indicates a high-pressure sodium lamp (orange
light) is nearing the end of its life. Contact the
Street Lighting Shop for prompt repair.
How can we get streetlights installed in my neighborhood?
Street lighting is generally installed by developers
and through the creation of Special Districts. To
ask specifically for streetlights in your neighborhood
call 808-8300.
Why are some streetlights painted and others
are not?
Older streetlights rust and need to be painted.
The City's new standards include aluminum flutes
or galvanized poles that don't require painting.
What can be done when a streetlight is a nuisance
because of its location and brightness?
Call our streetlight shop at 808-6313 about a
possible solution.
Sidewalks, Curbs & Gutters
Who is responsible for sidewalk repairs?
The property owner is responsible for sidewalk
repairs except when damage is related to: Utility
cuts (water, sewer, etc.); Round corners; Curb ramps;
Double frontage; or City crew (i.e. garbage pick
up, tree services, etc.) caused the damage.
What if city tree roots cause the sidewalk damage,
is the property owner still responsible?
Yes, City Code section 12.32.020 states the property
owner is responsible for repair if the defect is
caused in whole or in part by a tree root or roots.
How do I report a hazardous sidewalk that is
not my property?
Any citizen can request a repair to a hazardous
sidewalk. You may call Street Services customer service
(808-1888). Please give exact address. An inspector
will visit the site and the property owner will be
notified.
How do I report sidewalk weeds and debris?
These are the responsibility of the property
owner. If the weeds or debris are in an alleyway,
please contact Street Services customer service (808-1888).
Traffic Signs and Markings
How do I report a street sign that is knocked
down or bent?
Please report street sign problems to Street
Services customer service (808-1888). Please give
the exact location of the sign.
Who do I contact if the painted marks on the
street or curb are no longer visible or are in poor
condition?
Contact customer service at 808-1888. We will
need to know what the paint marks are and the location.
Who do I contact if I think we need a stop sign
on our street?
All new signs and markings must be investigated
and approved by the City's Traffic Engineer. Contact
Traffic Engineering at 808-8300. They will need to
know that you would like a new sign or marking.
People speed up my street I want something done.
All requests concerning errant driver behavior
need to be addressed through Traffic Engineering.
Contact them at 808-8300.
Streetscapes
How do I report defective water sprinklers in
the landscaped median?
Please call our customer service number at 808-1888
with details on the exact location. Please note that
these sprinkler systems are on timers that turn off
automatically after a few minutes and usually stop
before serious flooding occurs.
Where do I report problems with landscaping in
medians or on public landscaped areas?
Please call our customer service number at 808-1888
with details on the exact location and the problem.
If the landscaping problem is in a park area, please
contact Park Maintenance at 808-6305.
Construction Coordination
What is Right of Way Management?
Right of Way Management minimizes construction
impacts to vehicles, pedestrians, businesses and
residents through careful review and scheduling of
construction activities.
Is all construction within the right of way scheduled?
No, not all. Emergency repairs to various infrastructure
within the right of way are performed as needed.
How far in advance are specific construction
activities scheduled?
It varies. Some projects begin scheduling activities
a year or two in advance. Most projects begin their
review a few months before actual construction begins.
But, many projects appear just a few weeks before
construction must begin.
For Street Services customer assistance, call
(916) 808-1888.
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