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 sidewalk inspection program that responds to requests for service. Staff reported the number of complaints has increased year over year; city crews repaired about 23 sidewalk segments in 2024 totaling just over 7,000 square feet and had 48 repairs planned for 2025.

Marwitz described three recent initiatives: a public messaging and information website to make reporting and project tracking easier; a sidewalk grinding pilot, which staff said completed 247 grinds last year on sidewalks adjacent to 13 city parks and is being evaluated for cost per grind; and a sidewalk repair pilot that offers property owners the option to repair sidewalks as part of larger capital projects funded through the 2022 street bond. The 2022 street bond includes $5,000,000 for walking projects, staff noted, and capital projects will offer streamlined permitting and urban-forestry coordination to reduce costs for property owners; staff said they had mailed letters for six streets and received more than 30 calls of interest.

Staff presented a range of options that would require policy changes or new resources: scaling up maintenance crews and proactive inspection (would require additional staffing and funding); expanded financial assistance programs (examples: Denver’s annual sidewalk fee with a low‑income rebate, Pittsburgh’s income‑based subsidies and multi‑year interest‑free repayment); city cost-sharing for tree‑related sidewalk damage (some cities cover tree-related repair costs entirely); point‑of‑sale repair requirements (Pasadena requires repairs at sale or at major remodel thresholds); and revenue options including transportation bonds or a recurring sidewalk fee to fund long‑term repair and infill.

Councilors raised equity concerns and asked for details. Councilor Keating (referred to in the record as “Councilor Heating” in one place) and others suggested point‑of‑sale or title‑transfer collection models and noted lower‑income homeowners may lack the cash to repair sidewalks; staff said the city already has a means‑tested subsidy for repairs tied to participation in programs such as SNAP and WIC and that an age‑and‑income deferral option exists in code but is used infrequently. Councilor Keating asked whether requests-for-service produce an equitable service map; staff said they would follow up with data on spatial distribution of requests.

Council members also asked about coordination with transit improvements. Transportation staff said the city and Lane Transit District have a joint study planned to assess every bus stop’s walking and bicycling access and to identify quick‑build interventions; LTD is also conducting a district‑wide ADA access study for bus stops.

No council vote or new citywide policy was adopted; staff presented programs and options and said they would return with more detailed cost, equity and mapping information for council consideration.