Survey of Orinda Private Street Residents
Conducted August 9 - September 9, 2025
Key Takeaways
* Three-fourths of homeowners are dissatisfied with current arrangements for private road repairs and maintenance. (slide19)
Would you say that you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied
with the current arrangements for maintaining and repairing the private road that serves your home?
* Those uncomfortable cite the fact that they pay taxes but receive no help from the City, and that the maintenance can be costly. (slides 24 & 25)
In a few words of your own, why are you uncomfortable with being a private owner of the road serving your house?
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We pay taxes but receive no help – 31%
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Costly to maintain/can't afford repairs – 24%
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Road is in poor condition/needs repairs – 19%
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Unfair/others use the road but we pay – 19%
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Oppose private roads/should be city-owned – 16%
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Used by the public/not truly private – 13%
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Hard to manage/bad neighbors – 13%
* A strong majority (86%) supports the City taking over the responsibility of maintaining private roads. (slide 27)
In general, would you prefer to continue privately maintaining the road serving your house, or would you prefer
to have the road maintained by City government?
Here are some alternatives (slide 28)
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Have the City assume full ownership of private roads, including full financial responsibility and legal liability – 85% support
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Have the City assume full financial responsibility for maintaining private roads, while ownership and legal liability would remain with homeowners – 52% support
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Have City government more actively help homeowners on private roads work together to coordinate private maintenance activities – 46% support
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Allow residents on private roads to opt in to pay the City to conduct maintenance or repairs as needed – 30% support
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Continue with current arrangements with no changes – 12% support
* Over half of homeowners are willing to pay to bring the current condition of their roads up to an adequate level prior to the City taking ownership. (58% Yes; 14% No; 29% Don’t Know) (slide 30)
If the City were to assume full ownership of privately-maintained roads, homeowners would be required to pay
to bring the current condition of their road up to an adequate level prior to the City taking ownership. Given
the condition of your privately-maintained road, would you be willing to pay to bring the condition of the roads
up to an acceptable level in order to have the City take over ownership?