Last Updated: 03/28/2013
Project Overview
This web page is intended to provide information and details on the 2012-2016 Sidewalk and Ramp Repair Project.
This project combines the City’s program of bringing sidewalk ramps into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the newly created, millage-funded, Sidewalk Repair Program. For more information and details on each aspect of this project, please click on the appropriate link below.
Schedule for 2013
Sidewalk Repair Program 2012-2016
Curb Ramp Replacement Program
Questions/Contact Information/Repair Requests
The project will begin construction April 2013. The City will be focusing the work in different designated areas each year. For maps of areas where we plan to be working in 2013, click the following: area one, area two, area three, area four north, area four south.
As of November 5, work has been substantially completed in all areas that were repaired 2012. In spring 2013, the City will re-inspect the areas that were restored and seeded in 2012. Any areas where grass has not been established or that require additional attention will be completed at that time.
Sidewalk Repair Program 2012-2016
Sidewalk Millage
In November of 2011, voters approved a 1/8-mil increase to the Street Reconstruction Millage for the purpose of repairing sidewalks in the public right-of-way. Prior to the passage of this millage, property owners were required to repair or replace deficient sidewalks that adjoined their property. Beginning in 2012, the City assumed responsibility for the repair of the sidewalk system, which will be performed through this project over the course of the next five years.
Schedule for repairs
The City plans to address all areas of the City over the 5-year life of the millage (2012-2016). To accomplish this, we have divided the City up into five areas, and will work in one area each year. Click here for a map show which parts of the City are scheduled to be done each year.
What repairs will be made
The repairs to be made through this program will focus on removing any hindrances to the mobility of users. These repairs will focus primarily on:
- Sidewalks that are displaced more than ½ inch .
- Areas of severe water ponding/icing.
- Slabs that have settled or been lifted out of place enough to cause a serious hindrance to mobility.
The City’s contractor shall be using a two primary means for repair. These include replacement of sidewalk slabs, as well as horizontally cutting the sidewalk to remove vertical displacements (which will result in a "leveling out" of adjacent slabs that have been displaced).
What sidewalks qualify for the program
Sidewalks within the public right-of-way adjoining properties that are on the tax roll will be included in the program, and the necessary repairs will be made by the City at no additional cost to the property owners.
Sidewalks adjoining properties that are not on the City tax roll (such as schools, universities, churches, etc.) will still be responsible for repairing the sidewalks adjacent to their property. These sidewalks will be inspected along with the rest of the sidewalk in the area, and a letter will be sent to the property owners informing them of the need to repair the sidewalk.
Sidewalks on private property or adjacent to private streets are not included in this program.
New Sidewalks
The Sidewalk Millage is intended for the repair and maintenance of existing sidewalks, and not for the construction of sidewalks where none currently exist. For more information on new sidewalks, Click here.
Construction
In advance of construction in your area, City staff will inspect and mark sidewalks for repair. At that time, if there are any repairs to be made in front of your property, a door hanger will be left at your house. This will provide more information about the work to be done and contact information if you have further questions.
The work will typically last only a few days on any given street, and will usually have relatively minimal impact on homeowners. The contractor will likely have to install temporary No Parking signs on the street where they are working so that they are able access their work areas. Garbage, recycling, and compost pickup, as well as utility services and mail delivery will be maintained throughout the project.
Driveways will typically remain available for use unless the needed repairs happen to be in line with the driveway itself. If this is the case, a notice will be left at your house a few days in advance of the work.
Pedestrian access will be maintained during the project, although detours may occasionally be posted.
Curb Ramp Replacement Program
What is a Curb Ramp?
A curb ramp is the section of concrete, typically on a slope, that connects the sidewalk to the roadway and provides pedestrians a location to cross the street. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has multiple requirements for these ramps, which the City is obligated to follow. Some of these requirements include maximum slopes on the ramps and the level landings (i.e. the “top” of the ramp), as well as the need to install detectable warnings (the “dots” or “domes” installed at the bottom of the ramp) that act as a cue for visually impaired pedestrians.
What curb ramps are being replaced through this program?
The ADA, which went into effect in 1992, requires that pedestrian facilities adjacent to any public project be brought into compliance with current ADA standards. This includes the curb ramps adjacent to any road reconstruction or resurfacing project that was performed from 1992 to the present. The City is currently under a consent decree to retroactively bring all corner ramps into compliance on streets that were resurfaced or reconstructed between 1992 and 2004 by the year 2018.
Therefore, the City is focusing its resources on completing all of the curb ramps on the above referenced list. Because of the need to complete the ramps that are on this list within the required timeframe, some ramps within a neighborhood may be replaced through this program while others will not.
Corner ramps not replaced through this program will be replaced with ADA-compliant ramps the next time the adjacent street is resurfaced. Requests to replace specific corner ramps can be directed to Mike Nearing at sidewalk@a2gov.org.
Where is work being done this year?
Click here to see a map of the primary areas of focus for curb ramp replacement in 2013. More detailed information will be posted once it becomes available.
What should be expected during construction?
During construction, a City-hired contractor will remove and replace the designated curb ramps. This work will typically include removing some of the sidewalk adjacent to the ramp, as well as some curb and gutter and some of the pavement around the ramp. The pavement removal usually consists of a small strip that is removed and is later patched back upon completion of the ramp. Pavement patching will usually be done within a week of the ramp construction; in the meantime gravel will be left in front of the ramp to maintain a temporary walkable surface across the road.
In order to achieve the require grades for the curb ramps, we frequently have to significantly lower the level landings (the level landing is the slab of sidewalk at the top of the ramp, usually at the intersection of the sidewalks). This often creates the need to build a retaining wall at the back of the sidewalk, or to do some additional grading so that there is not a drop-off from the adjacent yard to the sidewalk which would erode over time.
All disturbed areas will be restored and reseeded by the contractor and re-inspected after the project to make sure turf has established.
Questions/contact Information/Repair Requests
If you have any questions, comments, or if you wish to report a potential sidewalk repair need, please contact:
Michael G. Nearing, P.E. Senior Project Engineer
734.994.2493
E-mail: sidewalk@a2gov.org