City of Atlanta Sidewalk Maintenance

Best Practices andPolicy and Funding Reform

Subcommittee Recommendations

Sidewalk Task Force February 14, 2013

Sidewalk Maintenance:Best Practices and National Trends

Create a comprehensive inventory of sidewalk conditions and use a points-based system to prioritize repairs

Use a two-pronged approach of repair and replacement. When money is tight, use tax dollars to implement low cost repairs that quickly address tripping hazards.

Many programs have moved from assessments on property owners to general financing by the community. Cost-sharing at 25 – 50% or long-term, low-interest loans are common features of effective programs that rely on assessing property owners.

Sidewalk maintenance policies have become increasingly attuned to changing demographics

and needs of people with disabilities.

Photo by Dan Burdenpedbikeimages.org

Public sidewalks are a program of the City that must be accessible to all users.

Barden v. Sacramento, 2003.

In 2030, 1 out of 5 people will be over 60.

Photo by Dan Burdenpedbikeimages.org

How do cities pay for sidewalk repair?

0

10

20

30

40

50

Property ownerpays full cost

City shares costwith property

owner

City pays full cost

Survey of 82 cities in 45 statesDonald Shoup, “Fixing Broken Sidewalks” Access, Spring 2010

Recognize barriers to enforcing existing sidewalk policy

Lack of community support Atlanta has prioritized sidewalk

maintenance so low for decades, it will be difficult to begin again.

This is especially true if the City relies on assessments from abutting property owners.

Lack of community support

Recognize barriers to enforcing existing sidewalk policy

Atlanta has a 22.4 % poverty

rate.

High

poverty rate

A program relying on property liens as a major funding source is not sustainable.

Liens can have a severeimpact on credit scores.

Liens often take years to pay off.

Atlanta’s pedestrians

deserve more than a

“pretend” program

Sidewalks are public assets that provide

more benefits to the

community

than to abutting property owners.

Recognize barriers to using existing sidewalk ordinance to fund sidewalk maintenance

Recognize barriers to using existing sidewalk ordinance to fund sidewalk maintenance

Selective enforcement is

inherently unjust

.

“Anne Fauver has been able to secure replacement sidewalks for three streets in Midtown. This is not the start of a program. It is a one-time thing because Anne found a small pot of money. No other neighborhood will have this benefit.”

Sidewalks and curbs are often

damaged by illegal parking, car wrecks, and other problems

beyond the control of

property owners.

Recognize barriers to using existing sidewalk ordinance to fund sidewalk maintenance

Recognize barriers to using existing sidewalk ordinance to fund sidewalk maintenance

On many streets,

sidewalks exist on just one side

of the street

. Why should people on the other side get a free ride with regard to sidewalk maintenance?

Recognize and overcome barriers to repairing sidewalks

Lack of community support

Lack of sidewalk inventories, master plans and weighted formulas needed to

prioritize repairs

Recognize and overcome barriers to repairing sidewalks

Lack of community support

The annual budget for sidewalk repairs enables

Public Works to address less than 1 % of the estimated $152 million backlog of

broken sidewalks and curbs.

Limited funding & staff

Recommended Reforms

Use a proactive inspection program to inventory sidewalk conditions

Score points for pedestrian generators and deficiencies when prioritizing projects

Use a two-pronged approach of repair and replacement.

Repairing sidewalks in a timely manner is much cheaper than replacing them.

Most sidewalk tripping hazard thresholds range from ½ to 1 inch

Design sidewalks with an eye to maintenance.

Plain concrete sidewalks are cheaper to repair and less prone to damage than pavers or bricks.

Stamped hexagon sidewalks cost more and are difficult to walk or use wheelchairs on. Make plain concrete the default choice.

Tax dollars should cover only the cost of sidewalks built with plain concrete. Additional costs for stamped hexagons or bricks should be paid by abutting property owners or associations.

Analyze and make transparent the benefit / cost ratio of the City’s cement plant

Does ownership of a cement plant encourage the City to replace sidewalks that could instead be repaired at a much lower cost?

Would privatization of sidewalk inspection and repairs reduce maintenance costs?

Follow consistent financing procedures .

“What is so frustrating is that there are so many blocks around Delaware where the city repaired the sidewalk at no cost to the residents. It is selective billing and that is simply unfair.”

Edjuardo Julio

Establish a desired timeline for addressing the broken sidewalk , curb or curb ramp backlog and determine how much funding is needed to meet it.

Estimated sidewalk and curb backlog: $152 million

The City’s sidewalk network of hexagonal concrete and brick pavers are beyond the expected life of 50 years.

From 2008 – 2010, the City reconstructed less than 4 percent of the estimated sidewalk backlog and less than 8 percent of the curb backlog.

As maintenance is deferred,the cost multiplies by a factor of four to seven.

. 

Provide dedicated funding for sidewalk maintenance Allow and provide diverse funding types:

1. Provide referendum enabling voters to authorize bond funding to pay for addressing the backlog of broken sidewalks and curbs.

2. Following expenditure of bond funds, include $15 million / year allocation for sidewalk maintenance in Atlanta’s annual budget.

3. Allow property owners who choose to pay for sidewalk repairs to do so.