What's Happening to Our Streets?

Measuring more than 1,900 centerline miles and over 4,200 lane miles, or about 2,400 miles using an average 30-foot curb-to-curb street width, San Jose’s network of local streets is by far the biggest of any Bay Area government. As with many other Bay Area cities, much of San Jose’s street system was built in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now showing its age, losing strength and sagging in all-too-visible places.

In this video segment, San Jose Transportation Director Hans Larsen takes a ride around his city and describes the uphill climb he and his staff must make to restore the system’s health and guide it toward a thriving, vigorous and productive middle age. The list of other local governments around the Bay Area — and across the country — facing similar challenges grows longer every year.