Administration & City Engineering

Please contact Public Works Administration & Engineering at 805-470-3456 or publicworks@atascadero.org. Staff will be able to look up records based the property address or APN number you provide.

The City of Atascadero operates a Dial-A-Ride program for door to door service within City limits. Atascadero Dial-A-Ride can be reached at 805-466-7433.

For additional San Luis Obispo County public transit options check out www.RideShare.org or call 805-597-8054.

The City of Atascadero provides sewer service to approximately half of the residents and to a majority of businesses within City limits. Privately owned and maintained on-site septic systems are utilized by the remainder of the City. Sewer usage fees are tied to property tax bills, so there is no need to start/stop service if you move.

If you have questions regarding sewer billing or connecting to sewer, please contact 805-470-3456 or publicworks@atascadero.org.

Installation of crosswalks is governed by the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), Section 3B.18, and the California Vehicle Code, Section 21106, subject to engineering judgement at specification locations. Typical crosswalk locations fall into one of two categories: at a signalized or stop-controlled intersection, or at a non-intersection (mid-block) location. Additional specific design standards are applicable for crosswalks near schools.

The purpose of crosswalks is to direct and channelize pedestrian traffic, and the MUTCD is clear that installation of crosswalks should be primarily at those locations where vehicular traffic control is already provided (signalized and stop-controlled intersections). Crosswalks at non-intersection locations are generally discouraged, particularly on roadways with higher speeds and more than two lanes, as the crosswalk can give a false sense of safety and actually increase risk to pedestrians.

While there are no Federal or State regulations regarding the use of speed bumps or speed tables, the City has a long-standing policy of not allowing speed bumps to be installed as a means of speed control. While many people believe that speed bumps are an effective means of traffic speed control, multiple studies have shown that the following negative impacts are associated with speed bumps:

• Increased emergency vehicle response time.
• Increase in air pollution and fuel usage.
• Increase in noise pollution due to additional braking, acceleration and jarring truck beds.
• Increase in vehicle wear and maintenance costs.
• Increase in accident rates and passenger injuries if unrestrained.
• Headlight beams dip and jump when traversing speed bumps, which can result in beams shining into house windows.

Additionally, installation of speed bumps typically doesn’t discourage individuals who choose to drive recklessly; it often just shifts them to other parallel streets or encourages reckless driving between speed bumps. For this reason and others listed above, speed bumps are not allowed on roadways within the City right-of-way.

The Public Works Department compiles traffic counts conducted throughout the City. Generally, counts are completed by the County, Caltrans, or as part of a project or study. All intersection related collisions for which police respond or accident reports are filled out are also tracked and summarized in a database. This allows the City to identify safety problems that arise at specific intersections.

Requests for traffic volume should be submitted to the Public Works Department at 805-470-3456 or publicworks@atascadero.org.

Requests for intersection collision reports should be directed to the Police Department at 805-461-5051.

While there are no Federal or State regulations regarding the use of speed bumps or speed tables, the City has a long-standing policy of not allowing speed bumps to be installed as a means of speed control. While many people believe that speed bumps are an effective means of traffic speed control, multiple studies have shown that the following negative impacts are associated with speed bumps:

• Increased emergency vehicle response time.
• Increase in air pollution and fuel usage.
• Increase in noise pollution due to additional braking, acceleration and jarring truck beds.
• Increase in vehicle wear and maintenance costs.
• Increase in accident rates and passenger injuries if unrestrained.
• Headlight beams dip and jump when traversing speed bumps, which can result in beams shining into house windows.

Additionally, installation of speed bumps typically doesn’t discourage individuals who choose to drive recklessly; it often just shifts them to other parallel streets or encourages reckless driving between speed bumps. For this reason and others listed above, speed bumps are not allowed on roadways within the City right-of-way.

The City maintains approximately 145 miles of roads, with repair and resurfacing paid for via several different funding sources. The combined funding provides an average of approximately $5.5 million annually for roadway repair and reconstruction. Previous analysis of roadway needs and funding has estimated that this level of funding is slightly less than is needed to maintain the roadway system at its current condition, and significant additional funding would be needed to increase the condition of the overall system appreciably.

Subsequently, selection and treatment type for roadway work is key to optimizing how limited funding is spent on City roadways. All city-maintained roadways are tracked within a pavement management system, using the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) StreetSaver® program. Each roadway segment is given a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score between 0-100, which is updated every five years by a contracted roadway condition expert. The purpose of the Pavement Management System is to track inventory, store work history, and furnish budget estimates to optimize funding for improving the City’s pavement system.

Expenditures for repairing and maintaining neighborhood roads and other roadways involve a process designed to provide transparency and fairness. The City has implemented a “Critical Point Management” methodology. This methodology selects road segments whose conditions are such that if repairs or maintenance is not performed in the near future, the road will deteriorate into a condition that will require more extensive and costly repairs to bring it to a similar state of good condition that less costly repairs and maintenance could realize if done sooner. The end result of Critical Point Management is prioritization of road repairs and maintenance with the objective of providing the lowest life cycle costs and optimizing the overall pavement conditions of the roadway system. This evaluation is undertaken every two years as part of the budget process, with projects selected for the upcoming five years.

Additional Information:
Measure F-14
Adopted Budget

Please contact our Stormwater Engineer at 805-470-3462.

Please contact Public Works Engineering at 805-470-3456.