During a recent discussion about possible federal funding cuts, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller noted that the roadwork budget is the easiest to cut, if needed.

But for now, as the birds arrive singing the song of construction season, Newton is digging in.

In her Friday email to the community, Fuller noted that the city is on track to repave more than 384,000 square yards of roadway and 50 miles of sidewalk this year.

“We’ve invested heavily and our main, more heavily used roads are in measurably better shape,” Fuller wrote in her Friday email to the community. “We’ve improved a bunch of smaller, residential roads but there are still a lot more that need a lot of work. We’re going to do a lot of paving and traffic calming projects this year in 2025.”

By the numbers

This year is set to see more road paving than any other year since 2017, when the city embarked on a citywide mission to improve road conditions.

Using the pavement condition index (which scores surface conditions from 0 to 100 using a vehicle with a camera attached, with higher number indicating higher quality), Newton’s overall pavement condition rating was 62. It’s now at 73, Fuller noted.

When you divide those numbers up between main roads (arterials) and neighborhood roads, it’s clear the city has had more progress with the former than the latter. Arterials went up in pavement condition from 69.5 to 81.2 (11.7 point increase), while less traveled neighborhood roads went from 59.3 to 69.2 (9.9 point increase).

“The road construction over the last eight years means many more roads are in really good condition today than when the program started and puts Newton’s PCI right around average when compared to the other cities and towns across Massachusetts,” Fuller wrote.

And in case you’re wondering, there are 279 miles of road in Newton, along with 415 miles of sidewalk and 5,400 curb ramps.

Newton has seen progress in both its main road repairs and small neighborhood road repairs over the past eight years. Chart by Newton Division of Public Works

What’s coming

You can see a complete report by the DPW here, and you can read a full list of planned road and sidewalk projects here.

And paving isn’t the only move the city’s making this year for road safety.

Newton’s DPW will be focusing on traffic calming measures (things that force drivers to slow down and pay attention and reduce traffic pressure in high-congestion areas), including raised intersections, which serve as both pedestrian access and vehicle speed control.

The city is also adding bicycle-friendly bump-outs (curb extensions at intersections that make pedestrians more visible) along Lexington Street and new crosswalks on Webster Street.

Elliot Street, from Linden Street to Wetherell Street, is getting new crosswalks, pavement markings, flashing beacons and sidewalk-level bike lanes.

Washington Street from West Newton Square to Newtonville is also getting improvements with the Washington Street Pilot Program.

And Nahanton Street is getting a bunch of pedestrian upgrades.

That’s just a few projects coming in the next few months. And they won’t be cheap.

“The year before I started as Mayor, 2017, the cost of paving was $30 per square yard,” Fuller recalled. “This year in 2025, the cost of paving is $90 per square yard.”

If you add up all the road repair and maintenance needs the city has, she added, the cost would be more than $170 million, so the work is being spaced out over several years.