Mayor Faulconer to jump start San Diego street repairs

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Mayor Kevin Faulconer made a pledge Thursday to jump start the city’s street repairs.

The mayor outlined some ways to get those projects moving more quickly. Mayor Faulconer is following up to a promise he made in his State of the Union speech in January.

On Thursday, the mayor re-affirmed his commitment to getting the ball rolling on hundreds of road improvement projects that have been put on hold for years.

It could be said that San Diego’s road repair program has been in a rut, but Mayor Faulconer said he is going to start clearing a big backlog of street repairs.

His goal is to fix 1,000 miles of streets in the next five years. “We are going to be able to complete projects more quickly and efficiently,” he said.

The mayor said the city has to look at making common sense reforms.

Council Member Mark Kersey said his Infrastructure Committee has identified 20 different ideas, to cut the red tape and improve efficiency.

By finding ways to speed up the bureaucracy process, some of those repairs that have been on hold for nearly a decade can begin to be moved off a long list.

The mayor said he plans to double the number of street repairs from 150 miles a year, to 300 miles next year.

The city also wants to alter the way it does business, and that will require some changes in accounting practices and action by City Council.