Politics
Long Beach City Council Approves 2026 Street Repair Bond, Directing Funds to Districts 1, 3 and 5
The $78 million bond measure will fund pavement and sidewalk work in three council districts starting this fall, while the remaining districts continue under the existing annual maintenance allocation of $12 million.
How we reported this
The Long Beach City Council voted 5-4 on July 7 to issue a $78 million general obligation bond for street and sidewalk repairs limited to districts 1, 3 and 5. The measure sets aside $52 million for resurfacing 47 lane miles and $26 million for curb and gutter replacement in those three districts, with work scheduled to begin in October 2026.
The bond follows the release of the city's 2025 Pavement Condition Index report, which showed an average PCI score of 62 citywide but scores below 55 in the three selected districts. Council members cited the report and resident service requests logged through the city's 311 system as the basis for prioritizing those areas over a uniform citywide distribution.
Allocation Details and Resident Effects
Under the bond terms, district 1 receives $31 million, district 3 receives $28 million and district 5 receives $19 million. Residents in those districts can expect crews to address potholes and uneven sidewalks on major corridors such as Atlantic Avenue, Cherry Avenue and Willow Street within 18 months. Property owners in the covered districts will not face new parcel taxes, as the bond is repaid from the city's existing property tax revenue stream.
Residents outside the three districts will continue to rely on the annual $12 million street maintenance budget, which the Public Works Department projects will cover only 19 lane miles citywide in fiscal year 2027. Local advocates note that neighborhoods in districts 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 submitted 2,140 service requests for road repairs in 2025, representing 61 percent of the total volume.
Next Steps and Timeline
The city clerk will certify the bond ordinance by July 21. Staff will then prepare bid packages for the first phase of projects, with a request for proposals due in September. The government says the policy will generate approximately 180 temporary construction jobs, drawn primarily from the local workforce through the city's existing project labor agreement.
Future council meetings will review progress reports on the bond expenditures every six months, beginning in January 2027. Any unspent funds at the end of the five-year period must return to the general fund for reallocation by a subsequent council vote.