About the proposed Street Maintenance Fee

The City’s Transportation & Public Works Department (TPW) has developed a proposed Street Maintenance Fee (SMF) to improve street conditions citywide and to reduce costly future reconstruction. Residents can now visit ConnectFW to learn more and take a public survey.

Why is the fee needed?

Rising costs and a growing street network have led to deteriorating conditions. Resident surveys consistently rank street maintenance as a top priority and an area of low satisfaction. The SMF would increase funding for preservation and heavy maintenance — far more cost‑effective than allowing streets to decline to full reconstruction, which currently affects 150 lane miles per year and adds about $375 million annually to future bond needs.

How does the fee help?

With an estimated annual funding gap of $66 million, the SMF would provide:

• Stable funding not tied to property values

• Dedicated dollars that do not compete with other City services

• A fair distribution of costs based on roadway use

• A solution that avoids raising the tax rate

How much would it generate?

The proposed SMF is projected to raise $27.4 million annually — about 40% of the identified funding gap. While not a full solution, it significantly expands the City’s maintenance program in a manageable way that can be delivered immediately.

How would the funds be used?

All SMF revenue would be restricted to eligible maintenance activities, including preservation of good‑condition streets and heavy maintenance of fair‑condition streets. Though fee revenue cannot be used for reconstruction of poor‑condition streets, the additional maintenance is expected to prevent roughly $125 million in future reconstruction each year, reducing future bond needs by about 34%.

How will neighborhoods benefit?

For the first time, the City could implement a proactive preservation cycle, crack‑sealing every good‑condition street every five years. Heavy maintenance would also increase by 50%, improving 72 additional lane miles annually. Over time, this approach helps keep good streets in good condition while bond programs focus on rebuilding the poorest roads.

How are fee amounts determined?

The fee is based on a widely used, industry‑standard methodology that measures traffic generation for different property types. Because all vehicles contribute to pavement wear, this approach provides a fair and defensible way to distribute maintenance costs.

Helpful resources

Visit the updated ConnectFW page to learn more, review FAQs, explore supporting materials and take a survey.

View a Street Maintenance Fee presentation on FWTV.

View a flyer.

Take a survey to provide input.

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