Denver has taken a significant step towards enhancing its sidewalks with the approval of a $15 million contract by the City Council to kickstart the implementation of a voter-approved program.
Although this progress has been long-awaited, immediate repairs will soon commence, with the approved contract primarily focused on funding a “sidewalk master plan” to address the remaining issues.
Jill Locantore, the executive director of the Denver Streets Partnership, expressed excitement about this milestone, stating, “I think people are really eager to start seeing the repairs take place.”
In 2022, voters passed the “Denver Deserves Sidewalks” initiative, shifting sidewalk maintenance responsibilities from property owners to the city and establishing a citywide fee to support the work.
The city started collecting the fee through municipal stormwater bills earlier this year, anticipating an annual revenue of around $40 million.
Under the up-to three-year contract with HNTB, the city will fund the master plan, engineering, and program management services. Over the next nine years, Denver aims to construct over 350 miles of new sidewalks and enhance 1,200 miles of existing sidewalks.
Work on the most deteriorated sidewalks is set to begin this year, ensuring that voters see tangible improvements in return for the fee they are paying.
Councilman Nick Williams emphasized the importance of delivering results, stating, “Voters are not going to want to pay that fee and not see (any improved sidewalks) out there.”
The original plan to collect the fee on a linear-foot basis in 2024 was revised to a flat fee structure to prevent corner lot owners from bearing disproportionately higher costs. The council’s decision to opt for a flat fee was supported by an 11-1 vote, with Councilman Chris Hinds as the sole dissenter.
Hinds raised concerns about the transparency of using an “on-call” contract for the project, but Geneva Hooten, the program director with DOTI, defended the approach, highlighting its flexibility and efficiency in getting the work done promptly.
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