2026-08-25 - Public Works and Traffic and Parking Joint Committee
Summary
The Public Works Committee (Tony Economou, Satya B. Mitra, John P. Fresolo) and the Traffic and Parking Committee (Jose A. Rivera, Luis A. Ojeda, Robert A. Bilotta, remote) met jointly 5:01 to 7:00 PM on Economou's order to review the city's strategic pavement management plan. Each committee first approved its own prior minutes (Public Works July 21, Traffic and Parking August 19). The Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility (Stephen S. Rolle) and DPW staff, with Apex Companies' Frank Marinaccio (spelled Francis in the Traffic and Parking version), presented the 2025 Pavement Management Plan: the 2023 average pavement condition index was 69.6, fixing the worst roads first was estimated at $19.4 million a year versus $16.2 million a year for a balanced preservation program (before an estimated 30 percent inflation increase since 2023), with crack seal, fog seal and permanent patching to hold roads at 80 to 90 PCI. Ojeda and Robert A. Bilotta pressed on chip seal failures, excess chips in storm drains, cape seal and microsurfacing pilots, and contractor inspection and accountability; Fresolo asked when district-selected streets would start, FY27 budget allocations, Grafton St. MassDOT funding, and why 21 percent of streets rate poor; Mitra raised resurfacing major arteries within three to four years. Two residents spoke neither for nor against, including on Coombs Rd. sidewalk and drainage problems. Both committees voted 3-0 to hold the item.
Summary written from the official minutes; no transcript yet.
Issues discussed: Street and Sidewalk Rehabilitation Process
Official Minutes
Journal of the committee as posted on PrimeGov (summary of actions, not verbatim). Page headers and footers removed.
Public Works Committee version
CITY OF WORCESTER
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Esther Howland (South) Chamber
Convened: 5:01 P.M.
Adjourned: 7:00 P.M.
MAYOR
Joseph M. Petty
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CLERK OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Chairperson Tony Economou Nikolin Vangjeli
Vice Chairperson Satya B Mitra
Councilor John P Fresolo
www.worcesterma.gov
City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts
Present Were: Chairperson Councilor Tony Economou
Councilor Satya B. Mitra, who arrived at 5:03 p.m.
Councilor John P. Fresolo
Also: Chairperson Councilor Jose A. Rivera
Councilor Robert A. Bilotta, who participated in the meeting
remotely
Councilor Luis A. Ojeda
Commissioner of Public Works John K. Westerling
Assistant Commissioner of Engineering Jay Mello
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility Stephen S.
Rolle
Assistant Director of Transportation and Mobility Todd
Kiranne
Principal for Apex Companies Frank Marinaccio
Deputy City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, clerk
1. Virtual Attendee Call-In Information
a. Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and in order to ensure active, public
engagement, the City of Worcester currently allows for both in-person and remote
participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings. To partake in the
meeting, you may attend the meeting in-person within the meeting location, follow the
below link to join via Zoom or dial the direct line as indicated. If you join a Zoom
meeting by dialing in with a phone number, you can raise your hand by dialing *9.
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Link:
https://worcesterma.zoomgov.com/j/1615992759
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Phone Number: +1
646 828 7666
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Access Code: 161
599 2759
2. Approval of the Minutes
a. Order - That the City Council Standing Committee on Public Works hereby approves the
minutes of the Public Works Committee meeting on July 21, 2026.
Chairperson Councilor Economou read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item.
Order adopted on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
3. Miscellaneous Item
a. Order of Councilor Tony Economou - Request Standing Committee on Public Works
meet jointly with the Standing Committee on Traffic and Parking for the purpose of
reviewing and discussing the city’s strategic pavement management plan. Further,
request Commissioner of Public Works and Commissioner of Transportation and
Mobility attend the joint committee meeting to present the city’s 2025 Pavement
Management, prepared by Apex Companies, LLC and Cyvl.ai. (see attached).
# 12m CC July 21, 2026
Chairperson Councilor Economou read the item and recognized the Commissioner of Public
Works, who provided an overview of the item, including how the Department of Transportation
and Mobility and Department of Public Works collaborate for the city’s pavement management
plan.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and
the Assistant Commissioner of Public Works, who provided a presentation relative to the city’s
street construction and pavement management program. Said presentation included information
concerning the importance of pavement preservation, advanced and flexible project planning and
project selections based on pavement condition index (PCI) data, the process relative to developing
the 2025 Pavement Management Plan, an overview of how to classify road PCI with estimated
treatment costs, impacts of pavement preservation on PCI, the importance of performing
routine/preventative maintenance to avoid road deterioration, the requirement for major
rehabilitation with the goal to maintain the majority lowest road classification at eighty (80) PCI,
monetary advantages associated with maintaining acceptable road conditions over a longer period
of time, the 2023 average PCI of the city’s road network rated at 69.6 with the estimated cost at
$19.4 million annually towards pavement management to fix the worst classified roads first,
considerations to inflation since 2023 with an estimated thirty percent (30%) increase for
pavement management supplies and labor, the 2023 estimated cost at $16.2 million annually
towards pavement management by following a balanced pavement preservation program, and
routine maintenance options to maintain roads at eighty (80) to ninety (90) PCI such as crack seal,
fog seal, and permanent patch methods.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who discussed the whether the
permanent long patch program addresses issues related to manholes with the Assistant
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed concerns related to the
chip seal treatment method, feasible alternative treatment options in lieu of chip seal, best
practices for using chip seal, benefits to using the cape seal treatment method, cost differentials
between chip and cape seal methods, and subsequent treatment limitations after using the cape
seal and microsurfacing methods with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering and
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Bilotta, who discussed concerns related to
excess chips impacting stormwater infrastructure, issues related to hot in place recycling
treatment, cold in place recycling and mill and overlay treatment methods with the Assistant
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the feasibility of cape sealing and microsurfacing
roadways that did not withstand chip seal with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed pavement management
budget allocations available for piloting cape seal treatment methods with the Assistant
Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who spoke concerning when the
projects associated with street and sidewalk selections made by district councilors would begin, as
well as project delays due to utility holds with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering,
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility, and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed the street and sidewalk
resurfacing process, whether there have been changes to the inspection process for street
construction projects and challenges related to construction work done by utility companies with
the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and the Assistant Commissioner of Public
Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed issues with the process used to inspect contracted
work, the ability to hold said contractors accountable for the quality of the work performed,
communication methods used to inform residents of scheduled roadwork, and the process used by
residents to obtain specific project information with accompanying contact information to file a
complaint/express concerns with Councilor Ojeda and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Bilotta, who highlighted the importance of
holding contractors to higher standards and a timeline of roads in each district identified to be
treated with crack seal with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering and Commissioner of
Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou then recognized the following Speakers:
1. Maria Kaplanes, Worcester resident, spoke neither in favor of nor opposed to the item
2. Fred Nathan, Worcester resident, spoke neither in favor of nor opposed to the item
Chairperson Councilor Rivera discussed the poor sidewalk conditions, construction status, and
drainage issues on Coombs Rd. with Speaker #1, Traffic and Parking Committee Member
Councilor Ojeda, and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the benefits and positive progress made since
establishing the city’s pavement management program and highlighted challenges associated with
inflation with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Mitra recognized Councilor Mitra, who highlighted the importance of
improving processes in the city to create a more inviting community for residents and business
owners, the feasibility of resurfacing major arteries in the city in the next three (3) to four (4)
years, the process used for District Councilors to select streets/sidewalks for resurfacing, and the
process used to allocate funds for each street/sidewalk selected for resurfacing with the
Commissioner of Public Works and Principal for Apex Companies.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the benefits of establishing a pavement preservation
program, highlighted the notion that significant pavement preservation results takes time, and the
impact of an insufficient pavement preservation program with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera discussed how many streets in the city fell into each PCI
classification, the process used to fund the city’s various pavement projects, and the number of
streets in the city’s road network with the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and
Principal for Apex Companies.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who spoke concerning Fiscal
Year 2027 (FY27) resurfacing budget allocations, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
(MassDOT) funding opportunities associated with resurfacing Grafton St., and why twenty-one
percent (21%) of the city’s streets classified as being in poor condition with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility, Assistant Commissioner of Engineering, and Commissioner of
Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed inspecting failed chip seal treatments with the
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be held.
Recommend Hold on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
Traffic and Parking Committee version (same meeting; differs in the attendance list and minutes approval)
CITY OF WORCESTER
TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMITTEE
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Esther Howland (South) Chamber
Convened: 5:01 P.M.
Adjourned: 7:00 P.M.
MAYOR
Joseph M. Petty
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CLERK OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Chairperson Jose A Rivera Nikolin Vangjeli
Vice Chairperson Luis A Ojeda
Councilor Robert A Bilotta
www.worcesterma.gov
City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts
Present Were: Chairperson Councilor Jose A. Rivera
Councilor Luis A. Ojeda
Councilor Robert A. Bilotta, who participated in the meeting
remotely
Also: Chairperson Councilor Tony Economou
Councilor Satya B. Mitra, who arrived at 5:03 p.m.
Councilor John P. Fresolo
Commissioner of Public Works John J. Westerling
Assistant Commissioner of Engineering Jay Mello
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility Stephen S.
Rolle
Assistant Director of Transportation and Mobility Todd
Kirranne
Principal for Apex Companies Francis Marinaccio
Deputy City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, clerk
1. Virtual Attendee Call-In Information
a. Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and in order to ensure active, public
engagement, the City of Worcester currently allows for both in-person and remote
participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings. To partake in the
meeting, you may attend the meeting in-person within the meeting location, follow the
below link to join via Zoom or dial the direct line as indicated. If you join a Zoom
meeting by dialing in with a phone number, you can raise your hand by dialing *9.
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Link:
https://worcesterma.zoomgov.com/j/1615992759
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Phone Number: +1
646 828 7666
Public Works Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee Zoom Access Code: 161
599 2759
2. Approval of the Minutes
a. Order - That the City Council Standing Committee of Traffic and Parking hereby
approves the minutes of the Traffic and Parking Committee meeting of August 19, 2026.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item.
Order adopted on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
3. Miscellaneous Item
a. Order of Councilor Tony Economou - Request Standing Committee on Public Works
meet jointly with the Standing Committee on Traffic and Parking for the purpose of
reviewing and discussing the city’s strategic pavement management plan. Further,
request Commissioner of Public Works and Commissioner of Transportation and
Mobility attend the joint committee meeting to present the city’s 2025 Pavement
Management, prepared by Apex Companies, LLC and Cyvl.ai. (see attached).
# 12m CC July 21, 2026
Chairperson Councilor Economou read the item and recognized the Commissioner of Public
Works, who provided an overview of the item, including how the Department of Transportation
and Mobility and Department of Public Works collaborate for the city’s pavement management
plan.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and
the Assistant Commissioner of Public Works, who provided a presentation relative to the city’s
street construction and pavement management program. Said presentation included information
concerning the importance of pavement preservation, advanced and flexible project planning and
project selections based on pavement condition index (PCI) data, the process relative to developing
the 2025 Pavement Management Plan, an overview of how to classify road PCI with estimated
treatment costs, impacts of pavement preservation on PCI, the importance of performing
routine/preventative maintenance to avoid road deterioration, the requirement for major
rehabilitation with the goal to maintain the majority lowest road classification at eighty (80) PCI,
monetary advantages associated with maintaining acceptable road conditions over a longer period
of time, the 2023 average PCI of the city’s road network rated at 69.6 with the estimated cost at
$19.4 million annually towards pavement management to fix the worst classified roads first,
considerations to inflation since 2023 with an estimated thirty percent (30%) increase for
pavement management supplies and labor, the 2023 estimated cost at $16.2 million annually
towards pavement management by following a balanced pavement preservation program, and
routine maintenance options to maintain roads at eighty (80) to ninety (90) PCI such as crack seal,
fog seal, and permanent patch methods.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who discussed the whether the
permanent long patch program addresses issues related to manholes with the Assistant
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed concerns related to the
chip seal treatment method, feasible alternative treatment options in lieu of chip seal, best
practices for using chip seal, benefits to using the cape seal treatment method, cost differentials
between chip and cape seal methods, and subsequent treatment limitations after using the cape
seal and microsurfacing methods with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering and
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Bilotta, who discussed concerns related to
excess chips impacting stormwater infrastructure, issues related to hot in place recycling
treatment, cold in place recycling and mill and overlay treatment methods with the Assistant
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the feasibility of cape sealing and microsurfacing
roadways that did not withstand chip seal with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed pavement management
budget allocations available for piloting cape seal treatment methods with the Assistant
Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who spoke concerning when the
projects associated with street and sidewalk selections made by district councilors would begin, as
well as project delays due to utility holds with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering,
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility, and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed the street and sidewalk
resurfacing process, whether there have been changes to the inspection process for street
construction projects and challenges related to construction work done by utility companies with
the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and the Assistant Commissioner of Public
Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed issues with the process used to inspect contracted
work, the ability to hold said contractors accountable for the quality of the work performed,
communication methods used to inform residents of scheduled roadwork, and the process used by
residents to obtain specific project information with accompanying contact information to file a
complaint/express concerns with Councilor Ojeda and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera recognized Councilor Bilotta, who highlighted the importance of
holding contractors to higher standards and a timeline of roads in each district identified to be
treated with crack seal with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering and Commissioner of
Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou then recognized the following Speakers:
1. Maria Kaplanes, Worcester resident, spoke neither in favor of nor opposed to the item
2. Fred Nathan, Worcester resident, spoke neither in favor of nor opposed to the item
Chairperson Councilor Rivera discussed the poor sidewalk conditions, construction status, and
drainage issues on Coombs Rd. with Speaker #1, Traffic and Parking Committee Member
Councilor Ojeda, and Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the benefits and positive progress made since
establishing the city’s pavement management program and highlighted challenges associated with
inflation with the Assistant Commissioner of Engineering.
Chairperson Councilor Mitra recognized Councilor Mitra, who highlighted the importance of
improving processes in the city to create a more inviting community for residents and business
owners, the feasibility of resurfacing major arteries in the city in the next three (3) to four (4)
years, the process used for District Councilors to select streets/sidewalks for resurfacing, and the
process used to allocate funds for each street/sidewalk selected for resurfacing with the
Commissioner of Public Works and Principal for Apex Companies.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed the benefits of establishing a pavement preservation
program, highlighted the notion that significant pavement preservation results takes time, and the
impact of an insufficient pavement preservation program with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility.
Chairperson Councilor Rivera discussed how many streets in the city fell into each PCI
classification, the process used to fund the city’s various pavement projects, and the number of
streets in the city’s road network with the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and
Principal for Apex Companies.
Chairperson Councilor Economou recognized Councilor Fresolo, who spoke concerning Fiscal
Year 2027 (FY27) resurfacing budget allocations, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
(MassDOT) funding opportunities associated with resurfacing Grafton St., and why twenty-one
percent (21%) of the city’s streets classified as being in poor condition with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility, Assistant Commissioner of Engineering, and Commissioner of
Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou discussed inspecting failed chip seal treatments with the
Commissioner of Public Works.
Chairperson Councilor Economou moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be held.
Recommend Hold on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
Transcript
Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).