Streets Improvement, Maintenance Remain Long-Term Goal for City

Streets are the largest and most used part of City-maintained infrastructure. For years, streets have been identified as an area for improvement by residents and visitors alike. After all, more than 70% of Garland's streets and alleys are more than 30 years old. The City currently invests about $30 million annually in street maintenance.

In 2024, the City contracted an assessment of all streets and alleys in Garland, comprising more than 2,600 miles of roadway. Specialized equipment measured the ride quality of each road and captured pavement defects like potholes, cracking, depressions and other issues. Scores were then assigned with recommended treatments ranging from sealing of simple cracks to complete reconstruction. The results showed that Garland's residential streets and alleys scored the lowest overall. The overall street score reported was a 70. For residential streets, the score was 69. For alleys? Just 51. See how your streets scored using the interactive map at GarlandTX.gov.

City Council has set a goal to raise Garland's streets scores over the next five years - to improve the average residential street score from 69 to 75, and alley scores from 51 to 60. Without investment now, the current scores won't stay flat - they'll decline. Within five years, the average is likely to drop to 66, with a growing backlog of nearly half a billion dollars in repairs. It's never cheaper to fix a street than it is today.

Residential streets aren't the only ones that need repair and improvements. As the main entry points into Garland, gateways should identify the city to passing drivers while also promoting a positive image of it. The same is true for corridors, which are primary roadways connecting areas within Garland. A gateway or corridor's condition can not only affect the impressions of that area's safety and quality of life but also make or break the decisions of prospective residents and businesses to move or invest there, which affects the City's property and sales tax revenue.

The City's 2025 bond program proposes additional funding to continue these street maintenance and improvement initiatives. To learn more about the 2025 bond election, visit GrowGarland.com.