How are concrete repairs handled by the City?

The City Streets Division has two primary concrete repair programs. One is the Overlay Preparation Concrete Program and the other is the Citizen Request Concrete Repair Program.

The majority of the resources are applied to the Overlay Preparation Program. This program completes needed concrete repairs for entire blocks prior to new paving being done on the street. It is a proactive and cost effective approach that serves the greatest number of citizens and prolongs the life of new asphalt. This program is critical to protecting the community's multi-billion dollar road network.

The Citizen Request Program is a recent addition to City services. It uses approximately 22 percent of the concrete budget and allows citizens to assist in highlighting safety issues and areas of special needs in the community. This program focuses on repairing Priority 1 and Priority 2 level requests. It does not relieve the homeowner of the long-standing responsibility to maintain sidewalks, curbs, and gutters adjacent to their home.

Is it the City's responsibility to fix sidewalks, curbs, and gutters?

No, concrete areas are the responsibility of the homeowner for maintenance and safety concerns.

In order to assist Citizen efforts, the City is using a portion of the funds generated by the PPRTA 1 percent sales tax, which was passed in 2005, to work in various areas to assist in making some needed concrete repairs.

I've been on the list for years, shouldn't I be next?

The Citizen Request Program is not handled on a first come, first serve basis. Work is assigned based on priority ratings, location, and available funding. We are currently focusing on repairing Priority 1 and 2 damages.

How are the damage ratings determined?

When a problem is reported, an Inspector goes out to assess the severity of the damage. At that time, a 1 to 4 priority rating is assigned and entered into a Citizen Request database. The ratings are based on the amount of vertical settlement, broken sections, surface conditions, and the location of the damage. Click here, to review these criteria.

When will the repairs get done?

We cannot commit to a timeline at this time. Please remember that this is a small program charged with addressing a large need. Depending upon the severity of your issue, the priority rating, and availability of crews, your repairs may take quite a while.

If your request is not currently in our database, please contact our Citizen Request Concrete Administrator at 385-5411. The administrator will take all of your information and have an inspector come out as soon as they are available to review the damage. At that time, your request will be added to our database for future consideration. Click here to check if your address is currently in our request database.

The Overlay Preparation Concrete Program also completes concrete repairs in conjunction with the Overlay Program. Those concrete repairs are done when the street is repaved.

Whose liability is it if someone falls and gets hurt?

Liability varies under state law. You will need to consult a private attorney about your particular situation. City Streets Division employees are not attorneys and cannot give you legal advice or opinions about your liability.

If I have the work done myself will the city pay for it?

No. We have no reimbursement program in place at this time.

How much work has been accomplished so far?

Between 2006 and the Spring of 2010, the PPRTA Concrete Program completed repairs on 63.49 miles of curb and gutter and 35.44 miles of sidewalk. It has also installed or repaired 558 cross pans and 1,903 pedestrian ramps as well as work on medians, driveways and other projects. Since 2007, the combined programs completed work at 10,217 addresses at a cost of approximately $25,318,000.

Do you have a plan for where the Citizen Request Concrete Program will be working in the future?

Yes, beginning in 2009, the Streets Division has implemented a preliminary 5-year plan for responding to Citizen Request Priority 1 and 2 requests.

The City is divided into 16 grids. We have selected 5 grids based on their high concentration of Priority 1 and 2 requests. The City will spend 1 year in each grid to complete as much work as possible with the available funds. We do not anticipate being able to complete all of the requests in each grid before moving on, but we feel it is important to rotate the resources throughout the City to serve all citizens.

2009 - Grid 08: outlined by I-25 to the west, Austin Bluffs Parkway/Garden of the Gods Road to the north, Union Boulevard to the east and Platte Avenue to the south.
2010 - Grid 12: outlined by Union Boulevard to the west, Austin Bluffs Parkway to the north, Academy Boulevard to the east and Platte Avenue to the south.

2011 - Grid 13: outlined by Union Boulevard to the west, Platte Avenue to the north, Academy Boulevard to the east and primarily Las Vegas Street/near Drennan Road to the south.
2012 - Grid 02: outlined by the City's municipal boundary to the west, primarily Garden of the Gods to the north, I-25 to the east and Hwy 24 to the south.
2013 - Grid 14: outlined by Academy Boulevard to the west, Austin Bluffs Parkway/Barnes Road to the north, Powers Boulevard to the east and Platte Avenue to the south.

The plan for the Overlay Preparation Concrete Repair Program is determined each year based on the paving program needs and available resources.

Am I allowed to repair the concrete in front of my house or do I need to wait for the City to do it?

Citizens are allowed and encouraged to make repairs to their sidewalk, driveways, and curbs to mitigate the homeowner's liability exposure. A permit must be obtained through City Engineering at 385-5977. The use of a licensed and approved concrete contractor is required.

Click here to find a list of concrete contractors licensed by the City Clerk's office.

What is the scope of the concrete needs in Colorado Springs at this time (2012)?

The City Streets Division estimates the cost to repair all of the reported and unreported concrete damage in the city at approximately $150 million (at today's prices). The cost to complete just the current requested repairs (about 4,977) is projected to be approximately $15 million. The City's PPRTA concrete repair budget for 2010 is $5.9 million with $1 million of that designated for use by the Citizen Request Concrete Repair Program for sidewalk trip hazard reductions, with the rest used for the Overlay Preparation Concrete Repair Program.