HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 086 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-086
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 7, 2022
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SUBJECT: SIDEWALKS — GAP FILLING AND MAINTENANCE
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The City of Fort Worth has extensive sidewalk needs that include installing sidewalks where no sidewalks
have previously existed, filling in missing segments (sidewalk gaps) and repairing sidewalks that are in
deteriorated condition. Sidewalk gaps are typically funded as part of street reconstruction or new
construction bond projects, by annual Pay as You Go capital funds, and in some cases, by private
development. Sidewalk maintenance is not specifically funded by the City.
Sidewalk Gaps: In April 2019, City Council adopted the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) to guide the
priority implementation of citywide sidewalk gap projects. The plan prioritized filling 3,395 miles of sidewalk
gaps with an estimated implementation cost of approximately $3.313. The current cost for installing one
mile of sidewalk is estimated at $792K. In FY20, TPW budgeted $629K in funding for sidewalk gap
installation. The sidewalk funding allocation increased to $1.51VI in FY21 and to $2.61VI in FY22, which
includes funding designated for sidewalks to transit projects. In FYs 20 and 21, TPW installed a combined
5.43 miles of sidewalks and anticipates installing 5.45 miles of new sidewalk for FY22. Chapter 30, Article
I of the City Code requires property owners to install sidewalks when redeveloping or performing a major
remodel where sidewalk gaps front the property. Developers are required to install sidewalks under the
Subdivision Ordinance.
Sidewalk Maintenance: The City does not currently have a separately funded sidewalk maintenance
program for repair of deteriorated sidewalks. Chapter 30, Article I of the City Code establishes that
sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the owner or tenant of property abutting a street. The City,
however, has not historically enforced this provision as failure to comply would require the City to issue a
misdemeanor citation for a nuisance and would have inequitable impacts.
TPW intends to perform a sidewalk condition assessment to update the citywide sidewalk maintenance
needs as part of the pavement condition index assessment currently underway. It is estimated that 103
miles of poor condition sidewalks exist in the City.
In certain situations, TPW reallocates funding from street maintenance to address urgent sidewalk
maintenance needs related to safety and/or ADA compliance. Costs for maintenance can exceed costs for
new installations depending upon the size of the projects, contractor pricing for smaller jobs with lower
economies of scale, and mobilization fees. In FY21, TPW received 336 requests for sidewalk maintenance
and addressed 71 due to their extremely poor condition.
If you have any questions, please contact William Johnson, Transportation and Public Works Director, at
(817) 392-7801.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS