Palo Alto's Roads Ranked: How They Compare To Rest Of Bay Area

PALO ALTO, CA — Roads in Palo Alto are among the best in the Bay Area, a recent analysis found.

Palo Alto's 414.4 miles of roads ranked in the "very good" category, according to the latest report on local road pavement conditions by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees transportation planning for the nine-county Bay Area. Palo Alto roads scored 84 out of a possible 100 points in 2020, the same score as 2018 and 2019.

Roads that are considered "very good" have only "slight or moderate distress" in the pavement and primarily require preventative maintenance, according to the study.

Bay Area roads in general scored 67 out of a possible 100 points on average for the fifth consecutive year, according to the report.

The scores reflected the average of data from the past three years. The most recent report included data from 2020 and was released late last year.

The other highest-scoring cities were Cupertino (score of 85) and Dublin (84).

The lowest scorers were Pacifica (42), Petaluma (44) and unincorporated Napa County (45).

No areas ranked in the "excellent" category, with 90 points or higher, indicating roads were newly built or resurfaced.

The challenge is particularly great for local governments in areas with roads deemed to be in "poor" condition, with a score of 25 to 49 points.

"Because major repairs cost five to 10 times more than routine maintenance, these streets are at an especially critical stage," the commission said.

When it comes to the Bay Area's biggest cities, Oakland isn't far from the "poor" category. It ranked in the "at risk" category, with 54 points, up from 53 points in 2019.

San Francisco sat squarely in the "good" category, with 74 points. San Jose's roads were ranked as "fair," with 66 points.

View the complete 2020 ranking here.