Coral Gables keeps sidewalks and school‑route gaps as a budget focus; $1M for repairs and $750k for new sidewalks recommended

City staff on June 3 outlined a multi‑tier sidewalk program and recommended funding targeted at repairs, new sidewalks and extensions tied to school routes and key corridors.

Deputy Finance Director Paula Rodriguez described three distinct budget lines: sidewalk repair and replacement (life‑safety focus), new sidewalk installation (locations with no prior sidewalks) and extensions/crosswalks. For FY27 staff recommended $1 million for repair and replacement, $750,000 for new sidewalks and $250,000 for extensions and crosswalks, to be funded from roadway revenues, mobility impact fees and grants where available.

Commissioners pressed on specific safety gaps near Coral Gables Senior High School and Riviera Drive, asking whether the proposed allocations would fill those gaps. A commissioner noted door‑to‑door resident outreach on Riviera and asked staff to prioritize school routes; staff confirmed Riviera gaps are in the sidewalk plan and that some projects are linked to FDOT or county coordination (e.g., Blue Road and Bird Road corridors).

Grants and match requirements: staff reminded commissioners that some projects (Granada corridor) have FDOT or federal grants and that matches are sometimes required; staff said they will use mobility and other impact fees where eligible and substitute city general‑fund allocations if those fees become available later.

What’s next: staff will fold any confirmed grant awards into the July 1 estimate and return with refined project lists and prioritization for school‑route and high‑traffic corridors.