How does the City decide which streets to repair or build new?

The City maintains an ongoing road maintenance program that regularly updates and evaluates street conditions. Once a year, a pavement evaluation device traverses roughly one third of Arlington's roads, using lasers and photography to record digital images of pavement surfaces and degrees of roughness and distress. City officials then assign a score to sections of roadway and determine the degree of repairs needed.

The Public Works and Transportation Department works to determine what roads need attention and what type of repair technique to use on each to prevent deterioration and costly rebuilds. The City's policy is to reconstruct the streets in the worst condition first in order to achieve a more balanced street network over time. The goal is to make timely, cost-effective repairs when needed and consistently examine even relatively new roads and use preservation techniques to extend their lives.

How does the City pay for street improvements?

There are two primary ways that the City pays for street projects - revenue generated by selling bonds and a dedicated sales tax, both which require voter approval.

Bonds: The City sells bonds and use the money to pay for projects. Bonds are sold to investors and the City promises to repay them with interest over a specific period of time (often 20 years).

Sales Taxes: The Texas Tax code authorizes all cities to establish a special sales tax for the repair and maintenance of existing city streets. Establishment, or continuation, of the tax must be approved by a city’s voters. Currently, a one quarter-cent sales tax is collected from all sales transactions occurring within the City of Arlington that are subject to sales tax. Click here to learn more about the City's Street Maintenance Sales Tax Program.

Where can I get traffic information?

The City provides the following information related to traffic:

• Street Closure List
• Traffic Webcams