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Opelika staff report progress, new measurements increase noncompliant sidewalk mileage
Summary
City staff presented updated results from a renewed ADA sidewalk transition plan, reporting more precise measurements raised the city's estimated noncompliant sidewalks to about 20 miles while crews have replaced roughly 12 miles to date.
City staff updated the Opelika City Council on the status of the city's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sidewalk transition plan, saying more precise field measurements and a new grading system increased the city's tally of noncompliant sidewalks.
The update was presented by a city staff member during the council's Oct. 21 meeting; staff introduced Jerry Scott, identified in remarks as the city's ADA coordinator in the engineering department, and Charles Huey, who assisted with the data analysis. "This plan was started in 2018," the presenter said. "We started implementing an ADA transition sidewalk plan for the past 5 or 6 years or so."
The presentation described a three-step process: an initial windshield survey in 2018, a compilation of results using GIS and Google Street View, and a more in-depth 2025 survey that used field measurements and a grading system developed by staff. Using the newer measurements, staff reported the city now counts about 51.6 miles of sidewalk in the inventory, of which approximately 24.5 miles were identified as conforming and roughly 20 miles as nonconforming. The presenter said crews have added about 6.3 miles of new sidewalks so far and replaced about 12.02 miles through ADA projects over the last five years.
Staff emphasized the 2025 analysis relied on measurement of slope and cross-slope, noting that cross-slope standards require a maximum of 2 percent. "The cross slope on this one does not meet the ADA standards, which is exactly 2%," the presenter said, explaining why some segments previously considered acceptable were reclassified.
Council members asked procedural questions about subdivision acceptance and developer warranty periods. A council member asked whether new subdivisions are required to meet city code before acceptance; staff replied that they are inspected and must be corrected before the city accepts them, but that settlement and aging can push sidewalks out of compliance within 8 to 10 years. When asked how long a developer must maintain a letter of credit, staff answered, "One year after the completion of the subdivision. So once they pave the road, it's one year after that." The staff clarified that the warranty period includes sidewalks.
Why this matters: city officials said the updated inventory gives a clearer picture of the scope of repairs the city will need to maintain ADA compliance and prioritize projects. Staff described the new grading system as "a little bit more scientific" than the original windshield survey and said the refined numbers will help with planning and project prioritization.
The presenter closed by thanking Jerry Scott and Charles Huey for the data work and noting ongoing and planned ADA sidewalk projects are expected to add further mileage and replacements. No formal action was taken during the presentation.
