Despite efforts to repair San Diego’s crumbling sidewalks, the backlog is larger than ever before and the cost of sidewalk repair has gone from $40 million to $100 million, according to a new report by city staff. “We’re repairing more now than we ever have, but it continues to be a source of frustration,” City Councilman Mark Kersey said in an interview ahead of a meeting on the matter.
The data in the report indicate that over 27,000 sidewalks have been fixed since the last assessment in 2015. Unfortunately, however, 81,000 sidewalks still need repair and the cost to complete the renovations has more than doubled.
“The way it’s set up right now is the sidewalk is the property owner’s responsibility,” Kersey explained. “They own it and they’re supposed to maintain it. But because it’s in the public’s right of way, if someone trips and falls and hurts themselves, the city is the first one to get sued.”
Kersey says the repair process is far more complex and time-consuming than simply seeing a problem area and fixing it. He argues that this is the result of trying to force property owners to make the repairs. Due to heavy regulation and the necessity of going through the complicated and tedious process of getting permits, this process can cost just as much as the work itself. As a result, only a few dozen people complete repairs this way annually.
Another concern is mounting legal costs. Along with the actual repairs, the city has put millions of dollars into settling lawsuits stemming from dangerous sidewalks. “I would much rather put those millions of dollars into fixing the problem than paying out legal bills,” Kersey concluded.
Photo by Bundo Kim
