Sidewalk Prioritization

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In the first post of this mini-series, we explored Sidewalk Surveys. However, many times a community will have the survey done, but nothing moves forward to correct the issues as they enormity of the problems become overwhelming. With too many issues to correct and too little funding, leaders just look to fix what they can in the near term while the survey gets tucked away in some file cabinet.

An important step in the process is sidewalk improvement prioritization. As there is typically a myriad of issues that are highlighted by the sidewalk study, it is unlikely that all the problems can be addressed in a year or two for most communities. That’s where prioritization comes in. A prioritization plan creates a long-term vision for deciding where improvements are most necessary, with a conscious eye on when and how it will get done.

Keeping Score

Keep in mind that it is also a good idea to have a scoring system when creating such a plan. Politics can quickly skew such a plan as City Council members or squeaky wheels in the public strive to ensure their personal desires of the process are achieved. A scoring system ensures a fair look at every issue and a basis in any arguments against those who want to derail the path of the project in order to steer it towards their own goals.

We’re in this Together

In fact it is even a good idea to set up a committee to draft the prioritization plan. Forming a group of individuals with the technical knowledge or personal involvement in the sidewalk system is ideal to aid in the creation of a prioritization plan that makes sense from safety, mobility, and financial ability viewpoints. They give the plan credibility and are able to stand together to defend it. Possible committee members could include:

  • A representative from the Pubic Works Department
  • The community’s engineering consultant
  • Someone from the police department or sheriff’s office
  • Downtown organization or chamber of commerce representative
  • A representative of the local school

Don’t Break the Mold

Most communities are working from a tight budget. It’s rare that community leaders want to pay for a consultant to prepare such a study. Consultants have the expertise to ensure that the prioritization plan is done professionally. Yet it often doesn’t make sense to many to drop $50,000 on a project listing when those valuable funds could actually go towards fixing the issues at hand.

For that reason, it may be best to see what’s available out on the internet to provide a starting point. Provided below are links to sidewalk prioritization documents from other communities.

Most of these were drafted by a consultant and some are pretty significant in the scope of the document, but they are all provided as more of a point of reference than a model document to hone your own plan around. Taking bits and pieces from the different scoring schemes helps to make a scoring system that is custom to the needs of your own community.

With a good committee, a viable scoring system, and a prioritization plan that is defendable and provides a long-term goal, a sidewalk improvement plan can get poised to get off the ground on the right foot. But it is almost always the next step where towns get tripped up. The funding, the moolah, the dinero to get the work done. We’ll take on that battle next.