08-05-2025
San Diego roads may get rougher as the city's budget crisis looms
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — With a major budget shortfall looming, San Diego city leaders are considering cuts to Transportation Department funding, which could worsen road conditions for drivers.
The city council is holding budget hearings this week as they decide what a final plan to address a $258 million deficit will look like, and community members are getting a better idea of how far the dollars they're thinking of allocating will go.
'It hurt so much,' said Lisa Nazario, victim of poor road conditions. 'I still have contusions and pain, and I can't sit up and lean back and all that.'
Nazario is still recovering physically and emotionally from what she calls a freak accident late last month. Her tire exploded after hitting a missing piece of pavement on Mira Mesa Boulevard. The impact caused her to lose control, sending her onto the sidewalk and into shrubs.
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While she and her son walked away with their lives, her car was a total loss. She's now relying on rides to get around for now.
'It was something that definitely could've been avoided if there was better construction on the roads,' said Nazario.
But ongoing budget challenges may lead to deteriorating road conditions. Even after this year's budget repairs are done, the city's roads will rate as 'fair,' according to the fiscal year 2026 draft budget.
It allocates $83 million for 390 lane-miles of road repairs, below this year's $140 million. The proposed street repair plan includes approximately 242 lane-miles of slurry/cape/scrub seal maintenance resurfacing and 147 lane-miles of full resurfacing.
According to a press releasee from the city, proposed reductions in the Transportation Department's FY26 draft budget include $350,000 in supplies for traffic signal repairs and $362,000 for citywide tree-planting activities.
Over 10,000 'Get It Done' requests are received monthly by the Transportation Department, creating a backlog.
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Bethany Bezak, director of San Diego's Transportation Department, said, 'One of my largest concerns for next year is that the increase in our budget to overtime and also rental cost is not going up.'
She says that combination means service levels will decrease. That prospect is raising concerns among city council.
'I'm very sad to see that we are not going to be doing overtime in terms of keeping things on track for pothole repair and for traffic cabinets,' said Marni von Wilpert, who represents District 5 on the city council. 'I understand it's a budget mitigation, I just wonder if it's going to lead to bigger claims down the road.'
And until a hiring freeze is lifted, the city will continue to operate with two out of three on-staff mill-and-pave teams trying to keep up.
Meanwhile, San Diegans dealing with road hazards are sending a clear message to city leadership.
'Fix one pothole at a time, you don't have to do the whole street,' said Nazario.'Just one pothole at a time if you can. It can save a life.'
On the week of May 19, the Transportation Department will present updates to the city's pavement management plan.
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