Carnegie is embarking on its most ambitious street improvement program in years as officials voted 3-2 Monday night to award a construction contract that will make repairs to 15 streets and alleys.

Voting to give A. Folino Construction a $509,358.86 contract to do the improvement work were members Bob Kollar, Mike Sarsfield and Dorothy Kelly. Dissenting were Fred Carini and Vera Freshwater. Susan Demko was absent.

Mr. Carini and Ms. Freshwater objected because some of the money to pay the construction bill would come from the capital improvement fund, which they said should be kept intact for emergencies.

But Mr. Kollar and Mrs. Kelly argued that the capital improvement fund would be reduced by only $138,450, and that it would be reimbursed with state liquid fuels money in 2009.

They also pointed out that road construction costs are likely only to climb.

"I'm in favor of doing of doing it all now. I just don't see oil prices coming down," Mr. Kollar said.

Mrs. Kelly agreed, adding, "We owe the taxpayer decent roads for the taxes that they pay. Some of these streets are so bad. They haven't been paved for 40 years."

Scheduled for repair are: Sixth Avenue from Steen to Doolittle; Boden Avenue from Washington the Verizon facility; Charles Street Extension from Ross to its terminus; Ross Street from Washington to its terminus; Bell Avenue Extension from Bell Avenue to the Parkway ramps; Broadway from the railroad tracks to its terminus; Brown Alley from Pine to Broadway; Seventh Avenue from Margaretta to Elm; Cubbage from Sarah to 713 Cubbage; Poplar from Trimble to School/Robert streets; and Dawson from Liberty to Dow.

Also on the work list is 250 feet of Huron Drive; three sections of Diamond Alley from Sixth to Fifth streets, Fifth to Fourth streets and Fourth to Third streets; four sections of Doolittle Street from Fifth to Sixth avenues, Sixth to Midland, Midland to Seventh, and Seventh to Branch; and Glass Street from Campbells Run to the Duquesne Light property.