Our primary concern is getting the most value for every public dollar we spend. This is especially important since we have limited funding to spend on paving. This money comes from the City's share of gasoline taxes. At this level of maintenance, street conditions in Ventura will slowly deteriorate over time. Given this situation, we try to use the available funding where it will have the greatest long-term value.
Streets begin to age immediately after they are constructed.
Water, sunlight and traffic all contribute to the gradual breakdown of the asphalt. Typical street life is 20 to 40 years. Streets with a lot of traffic, particularly heavy truck traffic, wear out more rapidly than streets in residential neighborhoods. Your dollars are best spent when we can use low-cost sealing or overlays to delay the time when the street condition declines to the point where it will need more costly reconstruction. The City used to spray olive trees to prevent fruit from developing.