Trending
The city has been conducting a survey of sidewalks and curbs throughout Altoona in expectation that City Council will develop a strategy for making comprehensive improvements.
Sidewalks and curbs in many areas of the city are in bad shape, said Councilman Dave Ellis. "We need to get a game plan going," Councilman Bruce Kelley said.
Some neighborhoods have gotten new curbs and sidewalks as an ancillary benefit of PennDOT highway projects, and some low-to-
moderate-income neighborhoods have received them through allocations of the city's federal Community Development Block Grant funds, Kelley said. Other neighborhoods have been "out of luck."
Staff has earmarked $1.3 million of the city's $39.6 million share of American Rescue Plan Act money for sidewalks.
But before long, ARPA money "will be gone, and then we'll be back to real money," Kelley said. "Not that the ARPA money isn't real."
It's likely the city may need to devise "some kind of (assessment) formula involving the homeowner," in order to make headway long-term, Kelley predicted.
"Probably a public-private partnership with homeowners," said Councilman Dave Butterbaugh.
Peter Marshall, former interim city manager, brought up the possibility of a curb-sidewalk program in 2019, noted City Manager Omar Strohm.
The survey is 65% complete, according Public Works Director Nate Kissell.
It will enable the city to determine where the need is most urgent, Strohm said.
In recent times, the city has tried to preserve curbs by milling the old asphalt before repaving, Kissell said.
Replacing curbs that are in contact with adjacent sidewalks often means that sidewalks need to be redone at the same time, regardless of their condition, he said.
"Curbs and sidewalks kind of go together," Strohm agreed.
But when there is a grass strip between the curb and sidewalk, the curbs can be replaced independently, with only corner ramp construction required, Kissell said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.