Sidewalk maintenance, by City ordinance, is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.  Richardson's Sidewalk Rehabilitation Program assists residential property owners with that maintenance as funding permits.

City-funded residential sidewalk rehabilitation is made on a regional basis to promote cost-effective construction practices, simplify project inspection and management, and minimize questions and uncertainty regarding project scope within a neighborhood.

Unlike previous sidewalk rehabilitation projects, it is not necessary to be "on the list" to get sidewalk maintenance assistance. All qualifying rehabilitations will be marked at the time of construction.

The City of Richardson assists residents with sidewalk maintenance in several ways:

• Pedestrians with disabilities can request assistance along non-accessible routes in the public right-of-way. Richardson evaluates each request on a case-by-case basis and assists accordingly.
• Limited sidewalk improvements are often performed in conjunction with Pavement Rehabilitation and other Capital Improvement Projects.
• Richardson’s Neighborhood Vitality-Bond Program assists residential neighborhoods with sidewalk maintenance on a regional basis as funding permits.
• The City provides contact information for contractors familiar with Richardson’s construction specifications and permitting processes. Contractors wishing to be added to the reference list can contact Engineering & Capital Projects at 972-744-4280.
• The City waives the Miscellaneous Concrete Rehabilitation Permit Fee when sidewalk improvements are performed at the property owner’s expense.

Sidewalk Rehabilitation Program Criteria

Current Sidewalk Rehabilitation Considerations: 

The 2015 Bond Program funding for sidewalk rehabilitation will complete the first cycle through all 27 Sidewalk Rehabilitation Regions. Repairs in the final region, Region 5, should be complete in early 2023. Prior to the passage of the 2021 Bond Program in November 2021, city staff reassessed sidewalk rehabilitation needs citywide and updated the current program to best address identified needs. The 2021 Bond Program includes funding for two of the newly drawn and numbered residential sidewalk regions, as well as three commercial sidewalk regions. Some residents may need to consider addressing more immediate safety concerns sooner.

What You Can Do:

Residents can obtain a list of sidewalk rehabilitation contractors via fax or e-mail if they don’t know whom to call, and Richardson waives the Miscellaneous Concrete Rehabilitation Permit Fee for sidewalk improvements.

Some improvements could be as simple as a temporary cement patching material, or grinding process, that helps transition vertical separations.

Richardson does not offer a matching fund participation program in order to direct all available sidewalk rehabilitation funding to the worst rated regions first.

Curb Ramp Replacement Criteria:

When funding is available, curb ramps not meeting Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessibility standards are replaced to meet most recent accessibility guidelines code. Common accessibility issues with existing curb ramps includes:

• Non-standard detectable warning surface which delineates the boundary between pedestrian and vehicular routes for visually impaired users or people with disabilities. In Richardson this is typically brick pavers at the bottom of curb ramps,
• Lack of a level landing area on a curb ramp for wheelchair users,
• Curb ramps with excessive slopes,
• Vertical separation (trip hazards), and
• Limited barrier free opening.

The new curb ramps being constructed are built per City standards to meet the U.S. Access Board’s proposed Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), which are also compliant with ADA and Texas Accessibility Standards. 

Examples of existing curb ramps being considered for replacement as well as examples of the new curb ramps being installed are shown below.

Existing Non-compliant Curb Ramps:

Figure 1- Example of curb ramp without a detectable warning surface, no level landing area, with excessive slopes, vertical separation and limited barrier free opening.

Figure 2 - Example of curb ramp without a detectable warning surface, no level landing area, with excessive slopes, and limited barrier free opening.

Representation of New Curb Ramps:

Figure 3 - Curb Ramp Type "G" at a Tee Intersection

Figure 4 - Curb Ramp Type "G2" at a 4-way Intersection