Title
Briefing on developing a long-term policy for sidewalk repair
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Briefing and discussion about the development of a long-term policy for sidewalk repair
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, AICP, Principal Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8575
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson, AICP
Max DeJarnatt, Associate Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.570.3723
Background and Analysis:
The City is working toward creating a long-term policy for sidewalk repair. As part of that process, staff created a story map and embedded a survey into the story map to ask people what they thought about some key points. A story map is a website that has maps, photos, and narrative to more easily explain complex topics than the City’s typical web pages allow.
We have included a link to the story map as an attachment to this staff report. If you have not already reviewed it, please do so. The survey that was embedded was open from March 2 - March 20, 2026. We have included a high-level overview of the survey’s results within the story map for the public to see. Please also review the attached summaries of the public response. If you’d like to see the full responses people wrote to the survey prompt, “I have another idea,” we have posted them on Engage Olympia, to which we have also included a link.
The issue
Current City code holds property owners responsible for repairing the sidewalks adjacent to their property, but the City has enforced that code unevenly. Courts have found that cities may be found liable if someone trips, falls, and gets hurt on a sidewalk in poor repair.
Over time, the City has developed an interim approach of addressing sidewalk repair by prioritizing streets where the City maintains street trees as resources allow. Those streets are shown on the attached map.
Recent actions
To supplement the sidewalk grinding and repairs that were historically funded in the operating budget at about $11,000 annually, in 2024, the City created a capital sidewalk repair program that has been funded at $500,000 annually. In 2024, the City repaired several different locations throughout the city in this program, and in 2025 we repaired two full block faces: one downtown on State Avenue and one on the westside on Kenyon Street.
One lesson learned from this experience was that it reduced overhead costs to repair full block faces rather than several disparate locations, so we will continue to focus on fixing full block faces in 2026. If you’d like to learn more about the upcoming repairs, please review the attached link to the 2026 Sidewalk Repair Project webpage.
Additionally, the City did a full inventory of the condition of its sidewalks in 2024, which was a crucial step to understanding the scale of how much repair is needed. The results of that inventory are shown in the story map, and it shows that there are many places that need repair.
Finally, the City Council funded four new positions to work on sidewalk repair in 2026. That crew is being hired and will likely work on more straightforward repairs, while the capital program will focus on more complex ones.
Policy questions
The policy questions that remain to be resolved are:
• Where should the City focus its resources?
• Given how much repair is needed, is there a role for property owners?
Next steps
City staff will propose a policy approach to the Land Use and Environment Committee, a City Council Committee, on May 28, 2026. We will seek the Committee’s input and recommendation to take the proposed policy to the full City Council for review at a study session, which is currently scheduled for July 21, 2026.
This meeting
Please come prepared with your questions and any thoughts you’d like to share about the policy questions raised above.
Climate Analysis:
The City has a target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The transportation sector is the second-greatest source of emissions in our region. To achieve the emissions reduction goal, the City needs to reduce vehicle miles traveled to 25% lower than 2021 levels by 2040. Making it easier for people to walk is a key part of this strategy.
Equity Analysis:
For people who rely on walking aids, like scooters, wheelchairs, or walkers, sidewalks in poor repair can be a barrier.
Additionally, the interim approach of prioritizing sidewalks for repair where the City maintains street trees may have equity implications, as those streets may not be where the majority of pedestrians most need it.
Options:
None - information only
Financial Impact:
None from this item
Attachments:
Link to story map
Summary of survey results
Staff response to survey results
Survey demographics
Link to Engage Olympia sidewalk repair page
Map of street tree maintenance area
Link to 2026 Sidewalk Repair Project page