Council Approves Legislation to Boost Sidewalk Fund

Sidewalk repairs now could be easier for the city of Atlanta.

On Monday, the City Council approved legislation to expand the city's Sidewalk Trust Fund.

City officials say it's a first step in the right direction for much-needed infrastructure improvements.

Under the new ordinance -- which was introduced Sept. 19 by one of Midtown's representatives Councilman Kwanza Hall -- revenue that the city collects from private property owners for sidewalk repairs will go directly to the Sidewalk Trust Fund.

Previously, the money went to the General Fund, which made it more difficult for the Public Works Department to access the money to make repairs.

In Atlanta, property owners are responsible for paying for sidewalk repairs that abut their property, according to city code. People either can pay a private contractor to make the repairs or the city to complete the work.

"As soon as I learned that our Sidewalk Trust Fund could benefit from this legislative solution, I was delighted to sponsor the ordinance," Hall said in a recent release. "Over time, monies accumulated in the fund will allow us to be more proactive when it comes to sidewalk repairs and improvements."

Public Works Commissioner Richard Mendoza said at a Sept. 28 committee meeting that he sees the legislation as a first step to re-evaluating the city's approach to infrastructure repairs.  about finding more funding options to fix broken sidewalks in Atlanta.

"This is an important and much-needed first step toward enabling Public Works to address the estimated $152 million backlog of broken and uneven sidewalks in the city of Atlanta," Sally Flocks, president of pedestrian advocacy group PEDS, said in a recent release. PEDS has been working with the city on the issue and was in support of Hall's legislation.