FAYETTEVILLE -- The city hopes to build five new sidewalks this year in addition to some ramps, crosswalks and repairs to existing ones.
The City Council's Transportation Committee annually reviews a ranked list of sidewalk projects for crews to take on. Most of the projects are handled by in-house crews, but hired contractors do some.
The committee, consisting of half of the City Council, on Tuesday forwarded the list of projects for the year to the full council for approval.
Since 2018, the city has used an objective scoring system to prioritize sidewalk projects. Factors include distance from schools, proximity to goods and services, nearby population density and gaps along sidewalk routes. The higher the score, the higher the project goes on the list.
This year's list proposed for the city's crews totals 220 construction days with a $379,008 materials cost. The total represents what the city would hope to accomplish if it had a full crew available. However, of nine potential positions, only six are staffed, said Keith Shreve, assistant transportation manager.
"This is my best hope we can do," he told the committee. "We're currently three people short on our sidewalk crew, so I may not make this list. This is based on a full crew. I'm hoping to be able to hire some people shortly. We've had several openings for several months."
Putting a 10-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side of Old Missouri Road from Frazier Terrace to Stearns Street is the largest project on the list at 650 feet in length. Estimated construction time is 51 days and materials cost is $75,541, according to information presented to the committee. The project would complete a connection from Zion Road south to the sidewalk on the north side of Frazier Terrace.
The city also plans to put an 8-foot-wide, 500-foot-long sidewalk on the west side of Salem Road between Clearwood Drive and Mount Comfort Road. Estimated construction time is 36 days with a materials budget of $56,576. Some sidewalk already exists on the west side of Salem Road south of Clearwood Drive, but the project would complete the segment where the sidewalk ends about 400 feet south of the intersection.
The city also would finish a project on the west side of Hollywood Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Parnell Drive. Crews built an 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side of Hollywood Avenue from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard south to Pasadena Link. The new work would complete the connection another 400 feet south to Parnell Drive. The sidewalk then would connect from Parnell Drive east to the Tsa La Gi trail. Estimated construction time is 44 days with a materials cost of $65,077.
Two other projects on the list would improve existing sidewalks downtown. The city plans to repair the brick border and sidewalk for 300 feet along the south side of Mountain Street from West to School avenues. Additionally, crews would repair deteriorated areas of the sidewalk on both sides of Dickson Street from Arkansas to College avenues. Estimated construction time on both projects is 27 days with a combined materials cost of $56,815.
The city also plans to hire contractors to do two projects. Hired crews would build a 1,600-foot-long sidewalk on the west side of Leverett Avenue from Sycamore to Hazel streets with a budget of $440,907. A contractor also would build a 950-foot-long sidewalk on the west side of Happy Hollow Road from Acacia Crossing to Fourth Street with a budget of $387,164.
Hiring contractors costs a lot more than having in-house crews do the work, Public Works Director Chris Brown said. The city usually opts to hire contractors to get a few more projects done than the city's staffing can handle, which is 220 construction days.
"We're really sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place," Brown told the committee. "We don't have the capacity to do a whole lot more, but we don't really have the funds to do a lot of contracted work, either."
In addition to those projects, the city has a long list of sidewalk repairs, ramps and crosswalks it wants to tackle. The plan this year budgets 63 days of construction time and $125,000 to take on as many of the highest-ranking projects the city can handle.
Three sidewalk repair projects are ranked as a high priority. One is the west side of Osage Bend, which has several uneven sections. Estimated construction time is 20 days.
The other two are smaller jobs. The north side of Assembly Drive needs a new driveway culvert and could be done in a day. The north side of Viewpoint Drive needs a new 50-foot-long curb and could be done in two days.
Committee Chairwoman Sarah Bunch said the city generally prioritizes repairs to sidewalks that present tripping or mobility hazards, especially for residents who use wheelchairs, push a baby stroller or have mobility issues.
Several spots need new crosswalks and/or sidewalk ramps that ranked high. Among them are College Avenue at South Street; Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Willow Avenue; Old Wire Road at the offset intersection with Strawberry Drive and Azalea Terrace and Township Street's intersection with Azalea Terrace; Gregg Avenue at Sycamore Street; Leverett Avenue at Berry Avenue; North Street at Gregg Avenue; Appleby Road at the Razorback Greenway; and College Avenue at Sunbridge Drive.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the list of sidewalk projects on Feb. 21.
Cones close off a sidewalk project, Friday, January 13, 2023 on the corner of Hollywood Avenue and Parnell Drive in Fayetteville. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)2023 sidewalk project list
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NoneThe following list breaks down sidewalk projects in Fayetteville scheduled this year in order of the city’s ranking system:
• West side of Hollywood Avenue from MLK Jr. Boulevard to Parnell Drive.
• South side of Mountain Street from West to School avenues.
• Both sides of Dickson Street from Arkansas to College avenues.
• West side of Old Missouri Road from Frazier Terrace to Stearns Street.
• West side of Salem Road from Clearwood Drive to Mount Comfort Road.
Additionally, the city has planned to do repair and crosswalk and ramp work for 1,500 linear feet of sidewalks as needed with a materials budget of $125,000.
Source: Fayetteville