Sidewalk Repair Program and Ramp Requests

Sidewalk Repairs

Since 2011, Ann Arbor voters have supported a millage that shifted the cost of sidewalk repairs from adjacent property owners to all property owners citywide — an acknowledgment that sidewalks, like roads, are shared infrastructure used by everyone and play a vital role in our transportation network.

With the passage of the millage, significant repairs have been made to sidewalks, walking paths, and ramps in every ward throughout the city. These improvements have updated our pedestrian walkways to better serve our community and provide safer travel for people of all ages and abilities. The program operates in five-year cycles, covering approximately 20% of the city's sidewalks and ramps each year.

The full cost of the program is funded by the Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage, which Ann Arbor residents vote on every five years.

Repairs focus on removing barriers to mobility. Sidewalks are evaluated and repaired when they have:

Vertical displacement greater than ½ inch
Severe water ponding or icing caused by a slope that directs water toward private property
Settled or lifted slabs that create a significant barrier to mobility

The city uses two repair methods: full slab removal and replacement, or horizontal cutting to level adjacent slabs with vertical displacement. Before work begins, city staff will mark affected sidewalk sections — R for replacement and C for horizontal cut.

Sidewalks within the public right-of-way adjacent to properties on the city tax roll are included in the program. Repairs are made at no additional cost to property owners.

Sidewalks adjacent to tax-exempt properties — such as schools, universities, and churches — are not covered under this program. Those property owners are responsible for their own repairs. Their sidewalks will still be inspected, and the city will notify them in writing if repairs are needed.

Sidewalks in township islands, on private property or adjacent to private streets are not included. Asphalt paths are handled under a separate program within the Engineering Department and are funded independently.

The program runs on a five-year cycle, typically covering four to five areas per year.

Before construction begins in your area, you will receive a mailer with project details. City staff will then inspect and mark sidewalks in need of repair. Work on any given street typically lasts only a few days and is designed to minimize disruption. During that time:

Temporary "No Parking" signs will be posted on affected streets to allow contractor access
Garbage, recycling, compost, mail, and utility services will continue as normal
Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout, with detours posted when necessary
Driveways will remain accessible unless repairs are needed directly adjacent to the driveway — in that case, you will receive a notice one day in advance

All disturbed areas will be restored and reseeded by the contractor. Sites will be re-inspected after the project to confirm that turf has been established.

Curb Ramp Repairs

A curb ramp is the sloped section of concrete that connects the sidewalk to the roadway, providing pedestrians with a safe place to cross the street. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets requirements for these ramps that the city is obligated to meet. Requirements include maximum slopes on the ramp and the level landing at the top, as well as detectable warning surfaces — the raised dots or domes at the base of the ramp that alert visually impaired pedestrians that they are entering the roadway.

The city completed work under a consent decree to bring all corner ramps into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act on streets resurfaced or reconstructed between 1992 and 2004, with a completion deadline of 2018. Hundreds of ramps were brought into compliance under this effort. In a small number of cases, full compliance was not possible without reconstructing the roadway itself — for example, where existing grades prevent a ramp from meeting Americans with Disabilities Act slope standards, or where a ramp cannot be properly aligned with the one across the street due to trees or driveways. In those cases, ramps may be relocated further down the street to achieve a compliant crossing.

Going forward, ramps will continue to be upgraded in conjunction with adjacent street paving projects.

To request a ramp repair, contact sidewalk@a2gov.org. Requests are assessed and incorporated into the city's ramp work, which is funded through Public Act 51 and the Michigan Transportation Fund.

A city contractor will remove the sidewalk, curb and gutter, and pavement adjacent to the ramp. The removed pavement is typically patched within a week of construction. Temporary gravel will be placed in front of the ramp to maintain a walkable surface across the roadway until permanent pavement is installed. All disturbed areas will be restored and reseeded, and sites will be re-inspected to confirm turf has been established.

New Sidewalk Construction

The Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage funds the repair and maintenance of existing sidewalks only.

In November of 2020, voters approved a six-year New Sidewalk Millage, which will generate approximately $1.3 million per year, to be used exclusively for sidewalk gap filling projects. Prior to the passing of this millage, new sidewalk construction costs were assessed to the property owners abutting the new sidewalk. Funding from the New Sidewalk Millage applies to all sidewalks constructed adjacent to tax-paying parcels in the City of Ann Arbor.