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Pavement management isn’t just about asphalt and potholes, it’s about designing a sustainable, long-term strategy that serves communities, maximizes taxpayer dollars, and improves quality of life. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, a forward-thinking model known as the Neighborhood Approach to Pavement Management, pioneered by the Town of Cary, North Carolina, in partnership with WithersRavenel, has emerged as a leading example for municipalities across the country.
Why the Neighborhood Approach Matters
In recent years, Cary has become one of the fastest-growing communities in North Carolina. Since 2009, the Town’s population has increased from 135,000 to more than 187,000 in 2024. With this 50% growth came a 17% expansion in roadway infrastructure, now totaling 539 centerline miles as of 2025. As expected, more residents mean more vehicles, more travel, and more demand on local roadways.
Initially, Cary followed a conventional “worst-first” approach, focusing on roads in the poorest condition first, regardless of location. However, this method quickly proved inefficient. Asphalt overlays were underperforming, citizens were dissatisfied, and coordination with departments and utility partners was challenging. The Town recognized that this approach was neither cost-effective nor sustainable.
“Minimizing mobilizations while spreading the maintenance funding around a roadway network is the balancing act,” states WithersRavenel’s Director of Pavement Management, Steve Lander, PE. “By utilizing a Neighborhood Approach, a municipality can provide a systematic approach that will yield the highest return on investment while providing the most acceptable solution for all stakeholders.”
From Shotgun Repairs to Systematic Solutions
To address these challenges, Cary collaborated with WithersRavenel to further implement a comprehensive and community-oriented Neighborhood Approach. This strategy restructured roadway maintenance by dividing the Town’s network into 189 paving groups, organized by geography, pavement condition, and logistical needs.
Instead of making scattered repairs, the Town shifted to improving roughly half of each neighborhood at one time providing routine maintenance in between improving the second half of the neighborhood in 10 years. Targeting streets with Pavement Condition Ratings (PCR) below 70, Cary was able to proactively invest in roads before they reached critical deterioration, raising the overall PCR of the network through incremental, strategic improvements.
WithersRavenel’s team supported the effort by delivering detailed lifecycle models, enabling the Town to forecast how various funding levels and treatment options would impact road conditions over time. These models incorporated deterioration curves, improvement rules, treatment costs, paving groups, and maintenance activities, giving Cary the data needed to align roadwork priorities with its budget and long-term infrastructure goals.
Benefits of the Neighborhood Approach
The Neighborhood Approach has proven to be much more than a change in planning philosophy, it’s a practical, results-driven strategy with measurable benefits for government leaders, staff, and residents alike:
- Increased Efficiency for Contractors: Focusing construction within defined neighborhoods reduces mobilization time, streamlines operations, and lowers unit costs.
- Improved Aesthetics: Grouping subdivision treatments creates a more visually consistent and attractive community appearance.
- Better Customer Service: Residents benefit from fewer disruptions, minimized construction fatigue, clearer communication, and more predictable schedules.
- Enhanced Departmental and Utility Coordination: Advanced planning facilitates smoother collaboration between public works, budget offices, and private utilities.
- Comprehensive ADA Compliance: Instead of scattered, piecemeal upgrades, the Town can bring neighborhoods into compliance, saving time, money, and liability.
A Model for Modern Infrastructure Management
Cary’s successful implementation of the Neighborhood Approach demonstrates how municipal leaders can rethink pavement management to deliver long-term results. By moving beyond reactionary repairs and toward a proactive, neighborhood-based strategy, the Town has built a program that is sustainable, efficient, and resident-focused.
For elected officials and pavement management professionals, this model offers a clear path forward. It allows communities to address aging infrastructure with data-driven planning, optimize limited resources, and improve equity in the delivery of services.
As infrastructure challenges continue to evolve, the Neighborhood Approach stands out as a proven, scalable solution, one that prioritizes people, not just pavement.