The City of Oceanside maintains approximately 490 miles of city streets and 16 miles of city alleys, totaling nearly 90 million square feet of pavement. This roadway network represents an estimated present-day replacement value of $270 million (hard construction costs only).

Oceanside's pavement system consists primarily of asphalt pavement, with a smaller amount of concrete pavement. Asphalt pavement is a flexible surface and generally requires more frequent maintenance than concrete pavement. However, concrete pavement has a significantly higher initial construction cost and is therefore used more selectively throughout the City.

The majority of Oceanside's streets are local (neighborhood) streets, which make up more than half of the roadway system. Arterial streets serve as the City's primary travel corridors, such as Oceanside Boulevard and El Camino Real. Collector streets function as connectors, linking local streets to arterial roadways. 

To protect and preserve this approximately $270M public asset, the City has developed a Pavement Management Program (PMP) to strategically plan, prioritize, and implement roadway maintenance and rehabilitation efforts.

A Pavement Management Program (PMP) is the process of planning, budgeting, designing, evaluating, and rehabilitating the city's pavements to maximize pavement performance and extend service life within available funding constraints. 

The purpose of the Pavement Management System:

• Compliance with California State Highway Code Section 2108.1
• Supporting effective management of the city's street networks
• Identifying streets in need of maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement 
• Maintaining eligibility for funding 

PMP Database Setup Review & Calculations 

Field Survey Testing 

This most recent field survey testing was completed in November 2023. This data collection effort included looking at surface distresses and conducting strength testing and roughness/ride quality. Historically, the pavement strength testing and roughness/ride quality was not used in the calculation of the Pavement Condition Index (PCI).

Types of Surfaces Distresses 

Surface distresses can range from low to severe. Additionally, these distresses can be caused due to load or can be due to water. For example, rutting is commonly observed near intersections. When vehicles accelerate from a complete stop, the increase in torque places higher stress on the pavement. Because asphalt is flexible, it pushes up the asphalt and result in visible ruts in the roadway. 

When properly designed and constructed, pavement begins with a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 100 and gradually deteriorates over time due to vehicular traffic and environment conditions.

The following chart describes the different PCI ranges and describes typical roadway conditions associated with each range. 

Typically, pavements begin deteriorating rapidly once they reach a critical threshold of wear and tears. An investment in affordable surface treatments at approximately 40 percent of its service life is far more effective than postponing maintenance until extensive patching or full reconstruction is required just a few years later. Streets that are repaired while in good condition will experience a longer service life and lower total lifecycle costs compared to pavements that are allowed to deteriorate into poor condition. 

As of November 2023, the City of Oceanside has an average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 52. The distribution of the PCI ranges is shown in the graph below. The full pavement condition of Oceanside's roadway system at that time can be found here. 

In general, it is most cost-effective to prioritize maintenance on streets that will become significantly more expensive to repair if treatment is delayed. Maintaining a street early in its life cycle using less expensive maintenance techniques is essential for cost-saving and preserving its structural integrity. This approach reduces the total lifecycle cost of a street and extends its overall service life. 

Applying the Right Treatment, to the Right Road, at the Right Time is Essential!

Types of Treatments

• Crack Seal: The process of applying an adhesive sealant into open cracks. It is cost-effective maintenance practice that prevents moisture from entering the pavements, slow down pavement deterioration, and extends pavement life by three to five years. 
• Slurry Seal: The process of applying a thin layer of asphalt. It is a maintenance practice that is used when crack seal is insufficient due to the amount of cracking and therefore produces the same result as crack which prevent moisture from entering the pavements, slows down pavement deterioration, and extends life by three to five years. 
• AC Overlay (resurfacing): The processing of grinding down, also known as milling, of the top two to three inches of existing asphalt concrete pavement (as needed) and replacing this layer with a new asphalt concrete layer. This is performed on deteriorated pavements with a strong foundation. This is a major rehabilitation activity that restores pavement vehicle-ride quality and structural capacity, lasting about ten to fifteen years. This can also be down with in-place recycling of existing pavement. 
• Reconstruction: The partial to full reconstruction is the process of removing the pavement surface and base from the subgrade and rebuilding the pavement, sometimes along with the curb and gutter. It can also include removal of the pavement surface through grinding or excavation, base repairs, restoration of the curb line and drainage (where applicable), followed by placement of a new surface. Reconstruction completely restores pavement ride quality and structural capacity and can last about twenty years provided routine post-construction preventative maintenance, such as crack seal and slurry seal. This method of pavement rehabilitation required additional costs as it requires the city to update any pedestrian ramps to be in compliance with the latest standard and requires construction of storm water treatment systems, such as bioswales. 

Streets are prioritized based on not only their current condition, but also by their position within pavement life cycle. The city's strategy is to treat streets before they deteriorate to a level that requires more extensive - and more costly - repairs, as depicted in the diagram below. Preventative treatments (such as slurry seals), rehabilitation (overlays or inlays), and full reconstruction are all part of this life-cycle approach designed to extend pavement longevity. 

It's also important to note that funding sources influence how and when roadway repairs are scheduled. Certain funding sources, such as those from the state funds, require that specific portion be allocated toward preventative maintenance treatments (i.e. slurry seals). In addition, Measure X funding, which is guided by an oversight committee, has directed staff to prioritize funding in arterial roadways, as these streets serve as the city's primary commuter routes. 

Like many California cities, Oceanside faces a structural funding challenge that is common across the state: the cost of maintaining aging infrastructure grows faster than traditional funding sources (gas taxes, general fund allocations, and state grants) have kept pace.

Oceanside's five-year pavement budget totals $51.1M, averaging approximately $10.2M per year. While this represents a meaningful investment in the network, independent analysis shows that fully eliminating the existing backlog would require approximately $319M, and simply holding the network at its current condition requires roughly $11.2M per year in ongoing treatment. That's why we're budgeting increases of over $1M each year for the upcoming years.

The City has made significant strides in closing this gap. Since its passage in 2019, Measure X has contributed over 34M in additional road repairs, a direct reflection of the community's commitment to improving Oceanside's streets. Notably, despite historical funding deficit, the City has maintained a network pavement condition score consistent with the national average.

The city continues to pursue state and federal grant programs and developer contributions to further supplement available funding. In the interim, the Pavement Management Program prioritizes high-impact, cost-effective treatments that deliver the greatest benefit per dollar spent, focusing on preventative maintenance before roads deteriorate to the point of requiring costly reconstruction.

This approach, treating the right road at the right time, is how Oceanside is making the most of available funding while working toward a fully funded solution. 

Based on the theories presented above, the city's Pavement Management Program (PMP) develops a 5-YR pavement management plan to guide roadway maintenance and rehabilitation. The latest plan was accepted and filed by City Council on January 14th, 2026, and can be accessed here. The City Engineer, or designee, has the discretion to modify the five-year PMP plan based on available budget and observed changes in pavement conditions. 

The Current 5-YR Pavement Management Plan:

• Developed based on current funding levels
• Subject to Change depending on budget 
• Prioritize Arterials streets
• Includes city Alleys
• Begins addressing streets that have failed 

Oceanside Roadway Moratorium 

Once a street is paved or rehabilitated, a road moratorium is implemented to protect the newly improved roadway. This was established in the "Excavation and Encroachment Policy" that was approved by City Council on August 10th, 2022. For detailed requirements, see Section VI. 2.0 of the policy.

The city's GIS system provides up-to date information on streets currently under moratorium. 

The Pavement Management Program (PMP) is designed to systematically evaluate and maintain the City's roadway network in a way that maximizes the life of each street while making the best use of available funding. Not every street in the City is scheduled for repair each year due to funding limitations and strategic maintenance planning.

Residents and roadway users play a vital role in the maintenance process by reporting potholes and other roadway issues. Reports are evaluated and prioritized base on severity, location, traffic impact, and safety risk. While not all reported potholes can be repaired immediately, the City follows a structured process to address issues efficiently and safely. This dual approach - planned maintenance through the PMP combined with responsive repairs to reported issues - helps the City balance long-term pavement preservation with the immediate needs of the community.

Residents are encouraged to report potholes by using the "My Oceanside" City app: My Oceanside City App | Oceanside, CA