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City details sidewalk gap progress; phase 2 costlier and engineering-intensive
Summary
City staff reported that phase 1 of Lee's Summit's sidewalk gap program added about 3.18 miles of sidewalk; phase 2 will address more difficult segments and is estimated at $3.5 million-plus due to grading and retaining walls.
Erin Rolovo, senior staff engineer, told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 that Lee's Summit installed roughly 3.18 miles (20,137 linear feet) of new sidewalk in phase 1 of the sidewalk gap program and completed an estimated 94 ADA curb ramps at a total project cost slightly above $2.2 million.
"Phase 1 addressed low-hanging fruit sidewalks," Rolovo said, noting the work improved safe routes to schools and parks in several neighborhoods. Rolovo said the city identified roughly 244 miles of sidewalk gaps in an original 2016 inventory and that the inventory was updated in 2021; some additional gaps may exist based on public reports.
Rolovo said the capital improvement plan (CIP) initially included $500,000 per year for five years (from a 2017 sales tax renewal) and a $5 million no-tax-increase bond in 2023. She warned that more than $100 million in existing gaps remain and that phase 2 will be smaller in mileage but more expensive because it involves steeper terrain, additional grading, driveway transitions and larger retaining walls. She provided an estimated cost for phase 2 of more than $3.5 million compared with phase 1's final cost of about $2.3 million.
Committee members pressed for details about sidewalks near Voy Spears Elementary and Westview areas, asking whether the school district partners with the city on pedestrian safety. Rolovo said the city is not aware of direct partnerships with the school district on sidewalk construction and that some gaps leading to schools will likely be addressed in phase 3 (fiscal years 2027-28), depending on engineering needs and funding.
Rolovo described how priorities were set: one side of arterials and both sides of collectors, with highest priority for areas within a quarter-mile of a school or park. She said the phase 2 scope focuses on locations with more complex topography and utility conflicts that require better upfront engineering to avoid costly field fixes.
The committee received project-status updates on other funded sidewalk-related projects, including designs for Orchard and Olive streets, Douglas Street improvements and Ward Road work tied to Westview Elementary. Rolovo said some new subdivision and developer practices have reduced the number of missed sidewalk installs, though older plats and historical waivers leave legacy gaps that the city must address.
