Good news if you own a car or a bike. Irvine has some of the smoothest roads in the state.

Every two years, the state surveys streets in all 58 California counties and 482 cities, and grades them in its Pavement Condition Index. Irvine received top scores, meaning your car or bike ride is smoother here than just about anywhere else.

Why? In addition to good planning, Irvine ranks number one in America for fiscal health, which means city leaders have funding available to ensure streets are well‑maintained — making it hard to find potholes in Irvine.

Cities that do not prioritize road maintenance or lack sufficient funding see their roads deteriorate in ways that are hard to reverse. As with anything, it’s more expensive to fix a problem than to invest in proper maintenance.