Annual Status Report of the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program May 2009

Annual Status Report
of the
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program
May 2009
Covering:
December 2007 through April 2009
Public Works Department
Parks and Transportation Services Division
Annual Status Report of the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program
May 2009
Staff Acknowledgments
Linda Norris, City Manager
Sean O’Day, Deputy City Manager
Peter Fernandez, P.E., Public Works Director
Mark Becktel, AICP, Parks and Transportation Services Manager
Sidewalk Inspection Component
Kevin Hottmann, City Traffic Engineer
Grant Myers, Senior Traffic Technician
Lyall Lesiak, Engineer Technician I (Inspector)
Joe Flake, Engineer Technician I (Inspector)
Ron Williams, Data Base Program Coordinator
Parks Operations - Street Tree Mitigation
Jan Staszewski, Urban Forester
Tom Bradley, Tree Operations
Office Support
Margo Moore, Office Supervisor
Ann Baylor, Staff Assistant II
Judy Postier, Staff Assistant I
Louise Klukis, Word Processing Specialist
Patty De Haan, Office Assistant
Sidewalk Repair Component
Bruce Hildebrandt, Street Services Supv.
Gloria Gray, Engineer Technician II
John Garman, Project Leader (Concrete)
Sidewalk Repair Crew
Brandon Klukis, MSW, Crew Leader
Kelly Whitegon, Maint. Operator I
Dennis Feddersen, Maint. Operator I
Shawn Smith, Maint. Operator I
Josh Stinnet, Seasonal Laborer
Utility & General Concrete Repair Crew
Randy Maxfield, MSW, Crew Leader
Gordon Williams, Maint. Operator I
Jack Crawley, Maint. Operator I
Nicholas Dubois, Seasonal Laborer
Sidewalk Repair Hotline:
503-584-4660
Sidewalk Program Information:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/Departments/PublicWorks/Pages/default.aspx/
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction and Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Sidewalk Inspection & Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Sidewalk Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mitigation Methods and Alternative Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Highlights and Program Evaluation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
List of Tables and Maps
Table 1: Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program - Estimated Revenue and Cash Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 2: Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program - Spending by Program Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 3: Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program - Spending by Budget Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 4: Criteria for Repairs to Public Sidewalks and Likely Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 5: Inventory of Sidewalk System Defects - As of March 3, 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Map 1:
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - Core Area .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Map 2:
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - West Salem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Map 3:
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - South Salem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Map 4:
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - Southeast Salem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Map 5:
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - Northeast Salem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Table 6: City Sidewalk Repair Crew - Units of Accomplishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Map 6:
Sidewalk Repairs Completed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Map 7:
Sidewalk Repairs Completed Using General Fund Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Annual Status Report of the Sidewalk Inspection
and Repair Program
May 2009
Introduction
On October 1, 2007, City Council adopted Ordinance Bill No. 99-2007 that amended the Salem
Revised Code (SRC) Chapter 78 “Sidewalks,” changing the assignment of responsibility for
sidewalk repair. Effective November 1, 2007, owners of property within the city limits and
adjacent to sidewalks built since September 1, 1992, became responsible for repairing or
replacing damaged sidewalks, unless the damage was caused by a City street tree. Owners of
property adjacent to sidewalks built prior to that date will become responsible for repairing or
replacing damaged sidewalks once the City makes the necessary repairs to bring them up to
acceptable standards. Repairing the damage caused by City street trees will continue to be the
City’s responsibility. City, county, and federal government agencies were made responsible for
the repair of sidewalks adjacent to their properties.
At that time, Council initiated a comprehensive sidewalk inspection and repair program funded
by a $1 million, one-time, set aside of the Qwest Franchise Reserve Funds and additional
annual transfers from the City’s General Fund. Council directed staff to prioritize the repair of
sidewalks in the oldest neighborhoods first, with additional priority being given to sidewalks
that serve as major routes to schools, parks, shopping, and transit service.
As part of its initiation of the sidewalk inspection and repair program, Council directed staff to
prepare an annual report on the status and condition of the sidewalk system, accomplishments
of the repair program, and the additional financial resources needed to continue improving the
sidewalk system. This report is to be conveyed to the Council as part of the City’s annual
budget process. This report covers the entire progress of the program to date, beginning in
December 2007 through the end of April 2009.
Background
City Council’s action on October 1, 2007, to amend SRC Chapter 78 and to establish the
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program was the culmination of work that began in November
2006 when the Mayor and Council created the Sidewalk Repair Task Force, charged with the
goal of making recommendations on how to improve the condition of the community’s existing
sidewalks. The June 13, 2007, Report of the Sidewalk Repair Task Force, outlined seven major
recommendations to the Council on how to address the City’s deteriorating sidewalk system.
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Council took the Task Force’s recommendations into consideration and decided upon the
program as described below:
On October 1, 2007, the Salem City Council adopted Ordinance No. 99-2007 amending the
Salem Revised Chapter 78 “Sidewalks,” which assigns responsibility for sidewalk repair.
The provisions of the new ordinance include:
•
Beginning November 1, 2007, owners of property within the city limits and adjacent to
sidewalks built since September 1, 1992, will be responsible for future sidewalk
maintenance unless a City street tree has damaged the sidewalk. The City will notify
each property owner by mail of this change in responsibility.
•
Owners of property within the city limits and adjacent to sidewalks built before
September 1, 1992, will be assigned responsibility for future sidewalk maintenance only
after the City of Salem inspects the sidewalk and makes all repairs needed to bring them
up to an acceptable standard. The City will remain responsible for future damage
caused by City street trees. Individual property owners will be notified by mail of the
change in responsibility once their sidewalks have been inspected and repaired.
•
Effective November 1, 2007, City, County, State, and Federal government agencies will
be responsible for the repair and replacement of public sidewalks adjacent to their
properties, unless City street trees have caused the damage.
•
The City will begin a comprehensive sidewalk inspection and repair program funded by
the $1 million set aside from the Qwest Franchise Reserve Funds. The Council
prioritized sidewalk repair in the oldest neighborhoods of Salem first, with additional
priority being given to sidewalks that serve as major routes to schools, parks, shopping,
and transit service.
•
The Public Works Department will report to the City Council annually on the status and
condition of the sidewalk system, accomplishments of the repair program, and the
additional financial resources needed to continue improving the sidewalk system.
•
Citizens will continue to be responsible for ensuring that adjacent sidewalks are clean of
leaves, debris, and obstructions, including snow and ice removal.
Prior to the adoption of Ordinance No. 99-2007, the City of Salem took upon itself the
responsibility for most routine sidewalk repair and replacement. Due to insufficient resources,
the backlog of service requests for sidewalk repair totaled approximately 3,300 locations. The
City allocated approximately $30,000 to $45,000 annually for sidewalk repair for a system that
contains around 900 miles of sidewalks. Priority was given to repairing those locations that had
high pedestrian usage or posed the greatest hazard to pedestrians.
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Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program
Within a week of Council’s adoption of Ordinance No. 99-2007, staff from the Transportation
Services Division of the Public Works Department met to formulate and approve an
implementation work plan for the new Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program. The current
Implementation Work Plan has the following goals and objectives:
Goal
Implement the Council’s directives per Ordinance No. 99-2007 to repair the City’s sidewalks that
were built before September 1, 1992, and restore them to acceptable condition prior to
returning maintenance responsibility to the adjacent property owners, as well as notify those
property owners adjacent to sidewalks, built in September 1992 or later, of their responsibility
to maintain those sidewalks, per the November 1, 2007, effective date of the Ordinance.
Objectives
No. 1 General Public and Property Owner Notification
Notify the general public and property owners of the changes in responsibility for
sidewalk repair and how the new Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program will be
administered.
No. 2 Sidewalk Inspection and Condition Assessment
Through a comprehensive inspection process, assess the condition of the City’s
sidewalks and track their status, by property frontage, on an electronic data base that
will provide the necessary information to assign repair responsibility, identify and
prioritize needed repairs, track completed repairs, and provide annual condition
assessments for the entire system.
No. 3 Sidewalk Repair and Replacement
Using the assessment data, identify a systematic plan for repairing sidewalks per
Council’s priorities. Through the use of in-house City maintenance crews and its
contractor(s)-of-record, make the necessary repairs to bring the sidewalks up to
acceptable standards and turn responsibility over to adjacent property owners. Explore
the use of alternative methods and materials in the repair process.
No. 4 Program Administration, Evaluation, and Reporting
Create a financial plan to optimize the City’s financial, personnel, and equipment
resources as applied to the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program. Evaluate the
program to identify needed improvements and efficiencies. Prepare monthly and annual
reports for City Manager and Council use.
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Program Resources
As part of its approval of the FY 2007-2008 Budget, the City Council identified several financial
resources to undertake the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program:
•
Qwest Franchise Reserve Funds (Sidewalk Repair Fund) – Council set aside $1 million of
these funds for sidewalk repair and replacement beginning in the FY 2007-2008 budget.
These funds are one-time funds made available from Qwest Franchise Fees reserved
during the period of time that they were encumbered in a lawsuit, in which the City
prevailed. The balance available on September 30, 2007, including interest earnings,
was $1,009,442.
•
General Fund Transfer – Council identified $57,000 to be assigned to sidewalk repair in
the Transportation Services Division operating budget for FY 2007-2008 and $57,710 in
FY 2008-2009. This amount is proposed to be increased to $60,460 in FY 2009-2010.
The availability of these funds will be determined on a year-to-year basis.
•
State Highway Funds – Since the beginning of the Sidewalk Repair Program in late
2007, the City’s allocation of State Highway Funds (Gas Taxes) has decreased from
$6.5 million to $6 million. Of that, $44,000 was allocated in FY 2007-2008 for sidewalk
repair. No State Highway Funds were allocated for sidewalk repair in FY 2008-2009, nor
are any proposed for FY 2009-2010, due to decreases in State Highway Fund revenues.
Table 1 contains the revenue and cash flow model that is being utilized to guide the Sidewalk
Inspection and Repair Program:
Table 1
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program Estimated Revenue & Cash Flow
Expenditures
Revenue Available
FY 2007-2008
Sidewalk Repair Fund (Beginning Balance 9/30/2007)
$1,009,442
General Fund Transfer
$57,000
State Highway Funds
$44,000
Total Resources
$1,120,300
Actual Expenditures
$302,100
Interest Earnings to Sidewalk Repair Fund
$42,459
Ending Sidewalk Repair Fund Balance (6/30/2008)
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$797,287
Expenditures
Revenue Available
FY 2008-2009
Sidewalk Repair Fund (Beginning Balance 7/1/2008)
$797,287
General Fund Transfer
$58,710
Total Resources
$855,997
Actual and Planned Expenditures
$580,000
Interest Earnings to Sidewalk Repair Fund
$8,000
Ending Sidewalk Repair Fund Balance (6/30/2009)
$283,997
FY 2009-2010
Sidewalk Repair Fund (Beginning Balance 7/1/2009)
$283,997
Proposed General Fund Transfer
$100,000
Total Resources
$383,997
Planned Expenditures
$383,997
Interest Earnings to Sidewalk Repair Fund
$0
Ending Sidewalk Repair Fund Balance (6/30/2010)
$-0-
Notes:
FY 07-08 are actual amounts. FY08-09 are actual through March 2009 and planned through June 2009. FY09-10 are
planned amounts as recommended by the Budget Committee to City Council on May 13, 2009.
At the planned level of expenditures, the Sidewalk Repair Fund (Qwest Reserves) is expected to
run out of funds at the end of January 2010. The use of General Fund Transfer funds will likely
extend the program by two months, ultimately ending at the end of March 2010. In order for
the program to continue, additional funds will need to be identified and assigned to the
program. It is possible that the City of Salem will receive an increase in its allocation of State
Highway Funds if the Oregon Legislature passes an increased funding package for
transportation. It is unknown at this time if such a package will be approved, its size, and if it
would have to survive a referral to the voters in November 2009. The earliest anticipated date
that any additional State Highway Funds would be received into City accounts would be
February or March of 2010.
Table 2 shows the percentage of how program funds have been expended between the
Inspection and Notification program component and the Sidewalk Repair component. Total
expenditures for the three fiscal years FY 2007-08 through proposed FY 2009-10 are expected
to equal $1,266,097. Over that time period, the Inspection and Notification component will
expend approximately $327,400 or 26 percent of the total program resources. Over the same
time period the Sidewalk Repair component will expend approximately $938,694 or 74 percent
of the total program expenditures.
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Table 2
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program - Spending by Program Component
Program Component
Sidewalk Inspection & Notification
Sidewalk Repair
Total Expenditures
FY 07-08
%
FY 08-09
%
FY 09-10
%
$97,843
32%
$156,600
27%
$72,960
19%
$204,257
68%
$423,400
73%
$311,037
81%
$302,100
$580,000
$383,997
Notes:
FY 07-08 are actual amounts. FY08-09 are actual through March 2009 and planned through June 2009. FY09-10 are
planned amounts as contained in the budget recommended by the Budget Committee to Council on May 13, 2009.
Table 3 shows the planned breakdown of expenditures for the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair
Program for the current fiscal year through FY 2010-2011, by budget category.
Table 3
Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program - Spending Plan by Budget Category
Budget Category
FY 07-08
FY 08-09
FY 09-10
Personnel Services
$240,900
$479,660
$317,566
$61,200
$100,340
$66,431
Capital Outlay
$0
$0
$0
Transfers to Other Funds
$0
$0
$0
$302,100
$580,000
$383,997
Materials & Services
Total Expenditures
Notes:
FY 07-08 are actual amounts. FY08-09 are actual through March 2009 and planned through June 2009. FY09-10 are
planned amounts as contained in the budget recommended by the Budget Committee to Council on May 13, 2009.
The Personnel Services expenditures through FY 2009-2010 are based on funding
approximately 4.0 FTE and 5 seasonal positions in the Parks and Transportation Services
Division:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.5 FTE Senior Traffic Technician (Lead Inspection & Notification)
0.5 FTE Concrete Project Leader (Lead Repair)
1.0 FTE Maintenance Service Worker (Crew Leader - Repair)
2.0 FTE Maintenance Operator I (Repair)
[1] 9 month Seasonal - Engineer Technician II (Repair/HANSEN Inspection Database)
[2] 9 month Seasonal - Laborers (Repair)
[2] 9-month Seasonal - Engineer Technician I (Sidewalk Inspectors - through FY 08-09)
Inspectors to be reduced to [1] 9-month Seasonal position in FY 09-10
Staff Supervision, oversight, and administrative support is provided as needed as part of the
Public Works overhead. Urban Forestry staff from the Parks Operations Group of the Division
charge time as needed for street tree trimming, root pruning, and tree removal. The Sidewalk
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Repair Program also participates as a fourth member of the Public Works consolidated work
zone barricade program. Materials and Services expenditures are based on funding for
construction materials, fleet rental, contractor-of-record costs, street tree mitigation costs,
supplies, printing, and postage. There are no planned Capital Outlay expenditures or Transfers
to Other Funds in the current spending plan. All vehicles and heavy equipment come from the
existing City fleet or are arranged from outside rental.
Sidewalk Inspection and Notification
While the goal of the entire program is to ultimately repair all of the City’s sidewalks, that can
only be accomplished once the magnitude of the problem is identified and better understood.
Immediately after adoption of Ordinance No. 99-2007, staff began the two-pronged process of
undertaking a detailed assessment of Salem’s sidewalks and notifying the general public of the
changes in City policy and property owners’ responsibilities. The accomplishments of this
component of the program can be conveyed in three work tasks: general public notification,
property owner notification, and sidewalk system inspection.
General Public Notification
Public education efforts began within days of Council’s October 1, 2007, adoption of the
Ordinance. The following education and outreach efforts have been accomplished:
•
Production and distribution of an informational flyer with a summary of the ordinance on
one side and “Frequently Asked Questions” on the other. These flyers were distributed
to City staff and were available to the general public at the Public Works, PAC Center,
and other City Hall locations. (October 5, 2007)
•
Informational article in the Statesman Journal newspaper summarizing the new
ordinance, the upcoming program, and how to contact City staff. (October 7, 2007)
•
Established a sidewalk repair telephone hotline for citizens to get information on the
sidewalk program and to register repair service requests. (October 19, 2007)
•
Created and posted an new web page on the City’s Internet site, containing a summary
of the ordinance, “Frequently Asked Questions,” information on the upcoming inspection
and repair program, and access to service requests and the sidewalk repair telephone
hotline. (October 22, 2007)
•
Created and distributed a water/sewer utility bill insert that contained a summary of the
ordinance, “Frequently Asked Questions,” and instructions on how to access the
sidewalk repair hotline and sidewalk repair program web page. This insert was
distributed to 60,000 customers during January and February 2008.
Property Owner Notifications
In addition to the general public education efforts, the program has taken a “property-centric”
approach to tracking the status of sidewalk condition and responsibility. Ultimately, every
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property owner that has sidewalks adjacent to their property will receive a letter. Property
owners having sidewalks younger than September 1, 1992, will receive letters notifying them of
their immediate sidewalk repair responsibilities. Property owners having sidewalks older than
September 1, 1992, will receive a letter after the City has repaired their sidewalk notifying them
of their responsibility to maintain the sidewalk from that point on. The following
accomplishments have occurred since October 2007:
•
A map showing the estimated age of all sidewalks in Salem has been developed based
on age of building permits. The main purpose of the map is to determine which
property owners should receive letters notifying them of having the post-September 1,
1992, sidewalks.
•
A list of city, county, and federal properties has been developed that indicates which
properties belong to the government agencies to be notified of their responsibility to
maintain their sidewalks. As of April 30, 2009, a total of 137 letters have been sent to
government agencies representing the sidewalk frontages of 397 properties. The
following is a breakdown by agency and number of properties:
- State of Oregon (All Agencies)
- City of Salem (All Departments)
- Salem Housing Authority
- Salem Urban Renewal Agency
- Federal Agencies (All)
- Marion County
- Polk County/Housing Authority
Total Government Properties
102
170
68
33
13
7
4
397
Amended SRC Chapter 78 exempted Salem-Keizer School District from having to
maintain the sidewalks adjacent to its properties. Government agencies still needing to
have letters sent to them include the Salem Keizer Transit District and Willamette
Educational Service District.
•
As of April 30, 2009, a total of 2,032 letters have been sent to individual property
owners informing them that the sidewalks adjacent to their properties have been found
to be in acceptable condition and that they are responsible for their future maintenance
and repair. This represents an estimated 125,170 linear feet, or 23.7 miles of sidewalks,
where the adjacent property owners have been notified of their maintenance
responsibility for sidewalks.
•
Door hangers, both in English and Spanish, have been printed to notify property owners
and/or residents to clean their sidewalks so that a proper inspection can be made of
their sidewalks. These are already in use. They are distributed ahead of the inspection
in areas that have heavy debris and vegetation accumulation.
The process of notifying adjacent property owners of their sidewalk maintenance
responsibilities has been slower than anticipated. The way in which data is conveyed between
the HANSEN database, the GIS mapping system, and the Marion County Assessor’s address list
system has resulted in the need for a final, manual verification of the match of addresses to
inspection data prior to the mailing of the notification letters. This manual step has resulted in
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near 100 percent accuracy in mailings, but at a cost to productivity. In addition, this particular
task is being completed by existing City staff that have other required duties and
responsibilities. A recent evaluation of the process should result in a significant increase in the
volume of notification letter mailings.
Sidewalk Inspections
In December 2007 the City hired two seasonal Engineer Technician I Sidewalk Inspectors.
Under the direction of a Senior Traffic Technician, they began inspecting sidewalks throughout
the older, central neighborhoods of town. After several months, enough of the older
neighborhoods were inspected that it was deemed appropriate for the inspectors to shift their
focus to the newer neighborhoods that have newer sidewalks in better condition. This shift in
focus allowed the property owner notification process to begin. Between December 15, 2007,
and April 30, 2009, staff inspected 3,014,527 linear feet of public street frontages, or the
equivalent of 285.5 centerline miles of streets. Of that, 2,666,687 linear feet, or 505.1 miles of
sidewalks were inspected for their condition. A total of 347,840 linear feet, or 65.9 miles, of the
street frontages inspected were found to be lacking sidewalks.
Prior to beginning the inspection program, staff established criteria for what constitutes a
sidewalk defect. Staff found and revised the same criteria the City had been using from 1971
through 1989. Table 4 contains the Criteria for Repairs to Public Sidewalks and also indicates
the usual cause of such defects.
Table 4
Criteria for Repairs to Public Sidewalks and Likely Causes
Defects that constitute a need to repair a public sidewalk
Likely Causes of the Damage
Any panel or section having a crack or cracks one-half inch or more
wide
-
Heaving by tree roots or tree trunk
Heaving by shrubs
Thermal lifting of subsurface voids
Ground settlement
Damage by heavy vehicles
Utility structures in sidewalk
Adjoining panels, sections, or portions thereof, whose edges differ
vertically by more than one-half inch
-
Heaving by tree roots or trunk
Heaving by shrubs
Thermal lifting of subsurface voids
Ground settlement
Utility structures in sidewalk
Panels or sections that have holes one-half inch or more in diameter,
or are cracked, crumbling or broken so that pieces are missing or
loose
-
Old sign posts or parking meters
Vegetation intrusion
Damage by heavy vehicles
Heaving by tree roots or tree trunk
Poor quality base rock or compaction
Panels or sections having depressions, reverse cross-slope (sloping
away from the street), or below curb grade so as to impound mud or
water, or that are not in compliance with the cross-slope guidelines
of the Americans With Disabilities Act
-
Ground settlement
Poor initial quality of construction
Construction prior to ADA Standards
Damage by heavy vehicles
Heaving by tree roots or tree trunk
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Panels or sections that cause an abrupt change in the longitudinal
grade of the sidewalk
-
Ground settlement
Poor initial quality of construction
Construction prior to ADA Standards
Damage by heavy vehicles
Heaving by tree roots or tree trunk
Inconsistent with adjacent development
Panels or sections where the surface has crumbled, raveled, or
spalled, leaving the surface very rough, with coarse aggregate
protruding
-
Exposure to weather, age, heavy use
Use of salt for deicing on concrete
Exposure to vegetation and moss
Damage by heavy vehicles
Poor initial quality of construction
Condition Assessment
Staff estimate that the City has between 800 and 900 miles of sidewalks in Salem. That number
will become more definite as the sidewalk inspections are completed. As the sidewalks are
inspected, the identified defects are entered into the City’s HANSEN data base. The data base
tracks sidewalk condition data by segment, or street block face. The street block faces used by
HANSEN are not divided into standard city block faces, but go from street corner to street corner.
One of the major accomplishments of the program to date has been the development and
populating of the HANSEN data base for tracking and assessing sidewalk condition. The effort to
fine-tune the data base and its ability to produce reports is still on-going.
Sidewalk System Defects
As of April 30, 2009, a total of 505.1 miles of sidewalks have been inspected. Table 5 shows the
breakdown of defects as of May 12, 2009, with an additional two weeks of inspection completed.
It is important to note that a large percentage of the sidewalks inspected to date have been
newer sidewalks found in the newer areas of town. With that, the largest number of defects are
in the spalling category, where the surface, edge, or joint of the sidewalk panel is deteriorated or
beginning to crumble. The next largest category of defects is cracks. Lifted panel edges are the
third largest category, with a greater number of lifts caused by City street trees. However, a
significant number of lifts are being caused by private trees, thermal lifting, ground settlement,
and other types of shrubbery.
A total of 93,387 defects have been inventoried as of May 12, 2009. Of those, 81,597 of the
defects, or 87 percent, are non-compliant defects and need to be repaired by either City crews or
by the adjacent property owner, depending upon the age of the sidewalk. Of the total number of
non-compliant defects, only 4 percent of them are caused by City street trees. Again, this
reflects the relatively younger age of the sidewalks that have been inspected since spring 2008.
The inspection data is used in several ways. First, it is used to determine if the subject sidewalk
meets acceptable criteria and the adjacent property owner can be notified of the responsibility for
future repairs. Second, if the sidewalk is younger than September 1, 1992, an enforcement letter
can be sent out to require the adjacent property to make the necessary repairs. Third, the
inspection data is given to the Concrete Repair Project Leader in order to know what needs to be
marked-out for what type of repair and the extent of the area needing repair. Finally, when
completed, the inventory of defects will provide the City with a basis for estimating the total cost
of repairing the entire sidewalk system and the amount of time it will take to complete the repairs
and transition of responsibility for the system to adjacent property owners.
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Table 5
Inventory of Sidewalk System Defects - As of May 12, 2009
Cracks
Crumbling
Degree
Description
Total Defects
Degree
Description
Total Defects
Extreme
1" or greater width
10,598
Extreme
> 1" cracks/offset
2,177
Medium
½"- 1" width
18,226
Medium
½" -1" cracks/offset
1,087
Slight
<½" width
5,265
Slight
<½" cracks/offset
Total
34,089
Total
Total Non-Compliant
28,824
Holes in Sidewalk
Degree
184
3,448
Total Non-Compliant
3,264
Spalling Concrete (Surface, Edge, Joint)
Description
Total Defects
Degree
Description
Total Defects
Extreme
2" or greater diameter
525
Extreme
Top layer gone, debris
30,299
Medium
½" -2" diameter
406
Medium
Start to lose top layer
8,942
Slight
< ½" diameter
129
Slight
Can see exposed rock
2,563
Total
1,060
Total
41,804
Total Non-Compliant
931
Total Non-Compliant
39,241
Lifted/Offset Panel - City Street Tree
Degree
Description
Lifted/Offset Panel - Other Causes
Total Defects
Degree
Description
Total Defects
Extreme
1" or more offset
2,227
Extreme
1" or more offset
1,210
Medium
½" - 1" offset
1,362
Medium
½" - 1" offset
1,239
Slight
< ½" offset
Slight
< ½" offset
1,207
931
Total
4,520
Total
3,656
Total Non-Compliant
3,589
Total Non-Compliant
2,449
Sunken Panel/Cross-Slope
Degree
Description
Invasive Vegetation
Total Defects
Degree
Description
Total Defects
Extreme
>1" sink or >4% slope
856
Extreme
covers 30% or more
12
Medium
½" -1" sink or 2%-4%
2,422
Medium
covers 10% to 30%
9
Slight
<½" sink or <2% slope
1,508
Slight
covers < 10%
3
Total
4,786
Total
24
Total Non-Compliant
3,278
Total Non-Compliant
21
Maps 1 through 5 show the extent of the progress of the sidewalk inspection component as of
April 30, 2009.
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Map 1
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - Central Core Area
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Map 2
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - West Salem
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Map 3
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - South Salem
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Map 4
Sidewalk Inspections Completed - Southeast Salem
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Map 5
Sidewalks Inspections Completed - Northeast Salem
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Sidewalk Repairs
The sidewalk repair component of the program is defined as repairs made to existing sidewalks
outside of repairs made due to utility trench cuts, capital construction projects, or private
permit construction. These repairs may be made by either Parks and Transportation Services
Division crews or by the City’s contractor(s)-of-record. While most of the repairs are planned to
be completed as part of a systematic process based on Council’s priorities, some repairs will
continue to be made based on prioritized citizen complaints and service requests.
Table 5 shows the extent of the repair work completed by City crews from the period of July 1,
2007, through April 30, 2009. A concrete repair crew dedicated solely to the Sidewalk Inspection
and Repair Program was created in February 2008 and has worked continuously on sidewalk
repairs since that time (exception being two weeks in December 2008 during the severe winter
storms). A crew configuration of 1 Maintenance Service Worker, 2 Maintenance Operators, and 2
Seasonal Laborers has been found to be the most cost-efficient crew size for undertaking various
types of repairs, a range of small to medium pours, and maintaining good customer service with
property owners/residents.
The use of the City’s concrete contractor-of-record has been found to be most cost-efficient when
the City crew removes the damaged concrete, prunes tree roots, compacts new base, and sets
the forms. The contractor then performs the pour and finishing. City crews then complete the
repairs by stripping the forms and repairing the damaged landscaping. This method has proven
cost-efficient when undertaking a number of close-vicinity, large-scale pours.
Table 6
City Sidewalk Repair Crew - Units of Accomplishment
July 1, 2007, through April 30, 2009
Repair Task
Units Accomplished
Edge Grinding (uneven and offset panels)
1,152 locations
Patching (holes, broken corners, etc.)
1,593 repairs
Sidewalk Replacement
(complete replacement of sidewalk panels)
36,947 square feet, equal to 1,478 (5'x5') panels
Curb Replacement (as part of sidewalk repair)
379 linear feet
Asphalt Patching (as part of sidewalk repair)
3,776 square feet by 1"
Paver Tile Replacements (Downtown)
485
Street Trees Removed (by Parks Operations staff)
8
Total Block Faces with Sidewalks Completely Brought to
Acceptable Condition
84
(equivalent of 21 entire blocks)
Note:
The sidewalk repair program statistics begin July 1, 2007, but the repair crew dedicated to sidewalk repairs began
work in February 2008.
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The sidewalk repair component of the program began its work in the Grant Neighborhood in
February 2007. After completing several entire blocks in the area bounded by E Street NE,
5th Avenue NE, Summer Street NE, and Union Street NE, the program moved east in the
Northeast Neighbors (NEN) Neighborhood Association area south of Parrish Middle School and
North Salem High School. The program then continued south in the area between
12th Street NE and 14th Street NE, with the program currently working in the east end of the
CAN-DO Neighborhood Association and north end of the SESNA Neighborhood Association
areas.
In future months, the program will continue southward, then westward through the northern
portion of the SCAN Neighborhood Association, area and then will jump over into the older,
lower-elevation areas of West Salem. The first loop of the program will then be completed
when the program again crosses the Willamette River and continues across to Union Street NE
to the Belmont Street NE area of the Grant Neighborhood. If sustained funding is identified,
the Program will continue in an ever-expanding, clockwise, spiral loop through the inner
neighborhoods of Salem until all the sidewalks built prior to September 1992.
Map 6 shows the block faces of sidewalks repaired as of April 30, 2009. Map 7 shows the
locations of sidewalk repairs completed using the General Fund Transfer resources.
Costs
One of the major goals of the program has been to perform as many repairs as possible at the
lowest unit cost. Staff have tracked cost at a very detailed level in order to identify efficiencies
and potential savings. While building a new sidewalk on level, undeveloped land might cost $7
to $8 dollars per square foot, repairing sidewalks involves removal of the damaged sidewalk,
dealing with removal of tree roots (or entire tree), and replacing damaged landscaping, over
and above the cost of constructing the new sidewalk. In some instances, curbs must replaced,
corner curb ramps replaced, and asphalt patching must be done in order to complete the
repair.
The repair program began with initial unit costs of $18.13 per square foot of sidewalk
replacement. As efficiencies have been implemented the unit cost of sidewalk replacement has
dropped to as low as $5.47 per square foot, nearly approaching that of new construction. The
least expensive type of sidewalk repair is large-scale pours, with standard concrete mix, and
during warm, dry weather. The most expensive types of repair occur when performing
numerous small pours, or using special high strength mixes (such as “high early” mix on
driveways), during the wet, cold winter months. Additional measures must be taken in winter
months that drive up unit costs, such as tenting, thermal blankets, and use of curing agents.
The average unit cost for sidewalk replacement to date for the 14 months of the entire program
is $11.20 per square foot.
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Map 6
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Map 7
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Mitigation Methods and Alternative Technologies
Staff from the Parks and Transportation Services Division have been especially aware of the
need to preserve the health and durability of the City’s street trees while in the process of
repairing and replacing sidewalks. This is a difficult challenge in the older neighborhoods where
most of the street trees are old, large, and have impacted the sidewalk in some manner. Urban
Forestry staff are consulted on the extent that individual street trees can be root pruned, or if
need be, removed. Repair staff have become adept at finding ways to route sidewalks around
large trees, ramp over large roots, as well as selectively narrowing the sidewalk to a minimum
of 4 feet in width in places to avoid impacting the tree. The goal is to remove as few healthy
street trees as possible, thus preserving the tree canopy of the older, established
neighborhoods.
Several new technologies have come into the market that might be utilized by the Sidewalk
Inspection and Repair Program. Rubber sidewalk panels, made from ground vehicle tires, are
one possible material that staff will explore in the future. Other materials include pervious
concrete or tinted asphalt. While some of these materials might be beneficial for use in special
circumstances, the goal of achieving a low cost per square foot dictates that the majority of
sidewalk repairs will be made using standard Portland Cement Concrete.
Highlights and Program Evaluation
Based on 16 months of inspection and 14 months of intensive repair work, the following
highlights and program evaluation points can be made:
•
The inspection team has been successful in assessing the condition of between 56 and
63 percent of the sidewalks in the City (depending upon whether there are 800 or 900
miles of sidewalk), an average of 31.6 miles of sidewalk inspected per month.
•
The inspection team began its work in the central core area, inspecting 716,040 linear
feet of sidewalks – enough to begin the repair component of the program. The
inspection team then shifted its focus to the newer areas of the city where the sidewalks
are newer and in better condition. This shift has allowed for staff to begin mailing letters
to property owners informing them of their responsibility for repair and maintenance of
the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. As of April 30, 2009, a total of 2,032 letters
have been sent to residential and business property owners, including 137 letters sent
to government agencies representing 397 properties. In total, this represents 2,292
property notifications.
•
The Sidewalk Repair component has brought the equivalent of 28,560 linear feet, or
84 standard block faces worth of sidewalks up to acceptable condition. That is equal to
5.4 miles of sidewalks brought up to acceptable standards in 14 months of work.
•
Only 8 street trees have been removed as a result of the sidewalk repair program. The
program has been very successful in finding ways to route sidewalks around trees and
mitigate root damage without the removal of the tree.
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•
The repair program has tracked its costs at a detailed level. The identification of
efficiencies and optimal use of city crews and a contractor-of-record has resulted in the
average cost per square foot of sidewalk replacement to be reduced from an initial high
of $18.13 per square foot to a low of $5.47 per square foot. The average cost per
square foot of sidewalk replacement over the 14 months of work is $11.20. The
5-person city crew configuration (3 FTE, 2 Seasonal Laborers) has been found to be the
most cost-efficient when completing various types of repairs and a range of sizes of
concrete pours. The contractor-of-record was found to be most cost efficient when
undertaking a large number of close-vicinity, large-scale pours. Both methods will
continue to be used in the future to promote cost-efficiency.
•
A difficult challenge to address has been the conflict between sustaining a systematic,
block-by-block repair process, which is very cost-efficient and highly productive, versus
responding to requests to have individual locations repaired throughout the City. In
response, staff created criteria that prioritize individual requests for repair by the City’s
other General Utility Repair concrete crew, and yet still keep the Sidewalk Repair crew
focused on the systematic process.
•
Challenges in developing and integrating the HANSEN database with GIS mapping and
the County Assessor Property Owner Database has made automating the property
owner notification process slower than desired. While results are improving, the process
has been limited to mailing only a few hundred letters per month. Improved
productivity is anticipated within the next few months. However, it is important to note
that this part of the overall program utilizes existing staff that have various other duties
and assignments and does not have staff dedicated to it, such as the inspection and
repair components do.
•
The Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program is adequately funded through March 2010.
This assumes that the program continues to spend at the rate it has for the last 14
months. The Program will need an additional $150,000 in order for it to continue
through the end of FY 2009-2010. An additional $600,000 will be required to extend
the program through FY 2010-2011.
•
After 16 months of inspection and 14 months of repair work, it has become clear that
this program, in order to successfully meet Council’s directives, will require staff,
equipment, and funding resources over the long-term. Realistically, the City will need
an on-going sidewalk repair program, funded at a minimum equivalent of $600,000 per
year, for at least the next 10 to 15 years in order to bring the sidewalks in the older,
inner neighborhoods up to acceptable condition and maintain an enforcement-level of
inspection. Under the current code, the City will need to sustain some level of sidewalk
repair program indefinitely, as long as the City remains responsible for existing and
future damage caused by street trees.
City staff are proud of the accomplishments of the Sidewalk Inspection and Repair Program that
have occurred to date, and look forward to increasing the productivity and service provided by
this program.
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