Eugene staff propose sidewalk grinding and repair pilots, list funding options and equity questions

Senior transportation planner Jody Trendler and principal civil engineer Katie Marwitz briefed the Eugene City Council on June 25 on the city’s sidewalk program and several new pilots and policy options to address a fragmented sidewalk network.

Trendler opened by calling sidewalks part of an “urban trail network,” noting they enable “people of all ages and abilities to move safely through the city” and that roughly “30 percent of the population who do not or cannot drive” rely on walking and wheeled modes. Staff said residents and advocacy groups including Curbs (part of Better Eugene Springfield Transportation) and the Active Transportation Committee have pressed for clearer information and more repairs.

Staff summarized current practice: property owners are responsible under Eugene City Code for maintenance and repair, and developers generally build new sidewalks at the time of development. The city’s public works maintenance division operates a…