Quite a few Denver homeowners are going to get notices from the city next year, ordering them to fix sidewalks adjacent to their homes.
Did you know it’s your responsibility to fix your sidewalk? The city is getting the word out in 2018.
Inspectors will hit the streets surveying sidewalks to insure they meet safety and federal standards. Sidewalks will be inspected by region in Denver. The city has been divided into 11 regions, which you can see here.
A recent survey showed 40 percent of the city’s sidewalks were either in disrepair, not up to code or completely missing.
“The fact that a huge proportion of our city sidewalks are in bad condition tells us that the current system doesn't work very well,” Jill Locantore with Walk Denver told Next.
Locantore suggested the city look at other models of caring for sidewalks.
In Ithaca, New York, the city charges an annual maintenance fee for homeowners, based on the foot traffic on their property.
Closer to home, the city of Westminster charges a monthly $6 fee on utility bills to fund sidewalks. In Englewood, residents can opt-in to a fee on their utility bills. That city reports 94 percent of its residents have opted in.
Denver included $4 million in its 2018 budget to create a fund to help people who may be struggling financially.
The city is also using general obligation bond money to fill in gaps where sidewalks may be missing. Approximately $17 million of that fund will go to the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods to build sidewalks. The other $30 million would go to areas the city deems as high priorities.
