Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works Department

TO:	Charles Soules, Public Works Director
FROM:	Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director
CC:	David Cronin, Walt Ward
Date:	April 29, 2014
RE:	Final numbers on Phase 1 sidewalk inventory project.

Project Description

Recently the Public Works Department was tasked with updating its 2006 sidewalk inventory data. The entire sidewalk network was inventoried utilizing GPS and iPad technology. Three temporary staff were hired and supervised by one of our full time staff to perform the actual inspection and inventory data collection. Staff walked and/or drove all sidewalks locations within the city and as they encountered a defect recorded it using the I-pad (see attached map). Also noted were “gaps” or missing sidewalk and ADA ramp information. Staff inventoried the sidewalks for the following defects:

Vertical deflections < 1”	Vertical deflections > 1”	Horizontal gaps
Tree roots	Cross slope	Brick resets
Manholes	Missing sidewalk	Gaps
No ADA ramp exists	ADA ramp compliant	ADA ramp non-compliant

Findings

Total summary of defects and breakdown of quantities were categorized by arterial, collector and residential. (See attached report). In total 203,658 linear feet of defects were identified. While sidewalks vary in width depending on their location we assumed an average of 5’ width to calculate quantities and cost. Total quantities of repairs equal 1,018,290 SF with a total repair cost of $6,109,740. This number is based on an average of $6.00 / SF. We know that some areas will cost more to repair due to issues currently not identified, such as, property acquisition, slope and cross slope, retaining walls, tree removal, storm sewer, utility relocation, and sprinklers for example. It also does not address ADA ramp issues or missing / GAP sidewalks.

The inventory identified 7,454 ADA ramps in total, 3,438 are currently ADA compliant, 3,760 are not ADA complaint and 256 were identified as having no ramp. The average cost to place an ADA ramp is approximately $800. This does not account for any property acquisition, slope issues, retaining wall or realignment. Given the inventory we have estimated an approximate cost for repairs / construction of $3,212,800.

Locations where sidewalks were never constructed (either one side or both sides of the street) or long stretches where sidewalk currently does not exist. The total linear feet of missing sidewalk is 1,404,185 LF or 265.9 miles. The estimated cost to place sidewalk on both sides of all streets in these locations based on an average of 5’ width is $42,125,550. The attached report shows a breakdown of where missing sidewalks are located by arterial, collector, and residential.

Also calculated were the total number of miles of sidewalk needed to be constructed in residential areas to get at least one sidewalk on one side of the street. That total was 47.5 miles, assuming the same average of 5’ width the cost would be $7,524,000.