Public works outlines sidewalk repair tools and costs; city manages 37 miles of sidewalks

Curtis Clifton, public works operations manager, told the council how the city handles sidewalk complaints and repairs, describing repair methods, prioritization and a pilot soft-surface installation intended to avoid removing mature street trees.

Curtis said the city is responsible for about 37 miles of sidewalk and has an annual target of roughly 50 sidewalk work orders (repairs or replacements) since the asset-management program began. Repair methods include in-house grinding, contracting grinding out, demo-and-repour for panels that cannot be reused, and a vacuum lifter (commonly called the "sidewalk sucker") that removes individual panels, allows crews to repair the base, then reset the panel the same day.

Benefits and limits of the sidewalk sucker

Curtis said the sidewalk sucker — purchased in 2022 — has allowed crews to repair roughly 2,000 linear feet of sidewalks by lifting and resetting panels without full demo, reducing labor, traffic disruption and disposal of concrete. He said grinding can create a temporary shim and is faster in some cases, but a ground panel is generally not reusable under the sucker and eventual replacement is likely.

Prioritization and pilot materials

Curtis said the city prioritizes repairs by severity (any lip of a quarter-inch can be a trip hazard; six inches is "severe") and recommended residents report hazards through the city's CitizenView system to help triage workload. He described a pilot flexible, spongy paving material used on one block as an alternative where roots were lifting sidewalk panels; the flexible surface avoids removing mature trees, has held up well in the short term and is more costly.

Questions from council members asked whether the sucker works on pervious concrete (Curtis said he has not tried it but believes it could), whether the city tracks a complete inventory of sidewalk defects (Curtis said he did not have a total pending count at the meeting but offered to supply it), and whether trees and planting specifications can be adjusted in code to reduce future root damage (Curtis said staff are coordinating with the ADA and landscape teams on specifications and root barriers on new projects).

Ending note

Curtis said staff will continue to pursue efficient repairs, monitor the pilot flexible surface, and provide additional data on the backlog and prioritization on request. Council members asked staff to prepare an analysis similar to the city’s road asset work so elected officials can see the number and severity of sidewalk defects across the 37-mile network.