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Councilors and DPW Clash Over Sidewalk Backlog as Hiring, Coordination Lag
Summary
Providence council members pressed Department of Public Works staff on a years-long sidewalk backlog, hiring shortfalls for cement finishers and project managers, and delays that leave many neighborhood requests unresolved despite $8 million in contracts and ARPA allocations.
Providence council members pressed Department of Public Works (DPW) leaders Tuesday over a persistent sidewalk backlog, staff vacancies and coordination problems that councilors say leave residents waiting years for repairs.
Council members raised the issue after DPW presented its engineering and highway division budgets for fiscal 2026. Councilors said sidewalks that were on lists a decade or more ago have not been completed, and they sought a clearer timeline for completing projects funded by city capital and federal ARPA allocations.
DPW staff said the department is working through competing constraints including contractor availability, utility coordination, seasonal windows and recruitment difficulties for specialized positions. “We—e got $8,000,000 of sidewalk contracts on the streets today,” a DPW staff member said, noting the city has a mix of internal crews and private contractors and that some contracts are staged to match other utility work.
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