"What it means is better roads for Fresno, better roads for people that drive on our streets," he said on Tuesday.
Phase One of the Pave More Now project includes major corridors, like parts of Shields, McKinley, and Shaw avenues. It will then expand into Phase Two beginning next spring.
"I've been here for about 25 years in this building, and this road has just been terrible the whole time," business owner Tom Machado told Action News. He said the roadwork cannot come soon enough.
"One customer, a few years ago, for some reason, right here, (was) trying to get into my driveway, (popped) his tire, and he was pretty upset. All I could tell him was, 'I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault,'" Machado said.
Roads throughout the city are declining, with a majority deemed "fair" or even "poor."
The rating for those considered "good" is expected to drop by about two points each year.
"The longer we wait to repave streets, like this one, the more expensive it becomes," Mayor Dyer said about Shields Avenue. "Road degradation plus inflation causes costs to rise dramatically."
The plan comes months after the city faced a $20 million budget deficit.
Action News asked the mayor if now is the right time to spend $100 million.
"We're actually not spending money in the fact that this doesn't affect anyone's taxes," Mayor Dyer said. "This is an internal loan that we utilize as the City of Fresno, and it's a bond."
The city is leveraging its current bond rating, among the highest on the scale.
"This is the highest our credit rating has ever been in the City of Fresno, which means we're able to borrow money cheaper," Mayor Dyer said.
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