Downtown Sidewalk Condition
Assessment
Agenda Item 12.B
By: Rosemarie Gaglione, P.E.
Public Works Director
Meeting Date: September 16, 2025
Background and Claims Overview
•Trip and Fall:
•Most common type of claim.
•In 10 years,33 claims received with total incurred ~$605,000. •Downtown Pismo Beach.
•Claim Specifics:
•Initially not large claim amounts.
•As the claims progress, costs increase.
•Infrastructure Improvements:
•Investment in infrastructure.
•Reduces the City's liability exposure.
•Claim Process/Results:
•Accept or reject.
•Pay for defense.
•Possibly pay for claim loss and infrastructure repairs. 2 Pismo’s Downtown Business and Tourism
•A clean, well-maintained downtown is good for business. •All parts of our downtown should look cared for.
•When an area is clean and well maintained, it is also
perceived as safer and more welcoming.
3 Pismo’s Downtown Business and Tourism
(cont.)
•Tourists Visiting Pismo Beach:
•Are not familiar with the sidewalks or roads.
•May be distracted while walking downtown.
4 Selection of the Contractor
•Precision Concrete was selected through a Master
Agreement with the California Joint Powers Insurance
Authority (CJPIA)
•They are well-versed in the mitigation of trip and fall hazards, ADA requirements and evaluating overall
sidewalk condition
•Precision Concrete also repairs spalls and cracks as well as performing precision saw-cutting of sidewalk “lifts” to eliminate trip hazards.
5 Trip Hazards – “Lifts”
•When one section of the
sidewalk is higher than the
adjacent section, we refer
to that as a “lift.”
•The goal is to remove lifts in
the most cost effective,
best looking way
6 Lift
Assessment Area
7 Assessment Methodology
•Precision Concrete inspected every portion of sidewalk in the downtown. •Each potential hazard or poor condition was placed into an inventory that was catalogued by:
•Hazard or type of poor condition
•Recommended fix (repair, saw-cutting or replacement)
•Severity and Priority
•Location via GPS
•Will work in conjunction with our Asset Management Program 8 The Three Hazard Classes and Remedies
•A potential trip hazard is rated by the difference in
elevation between two panels of sidewalk at the joint.
This is also called the “lift.”
•The following hazards can be remedied by saw-cutting:
•Less Severe (small) – lift is above ¼” and up to ½” in height •Severe (medium) – lift is above ½” and up to 1” in height •Most Severe (large) – lift is above 1” and up to 2-1/2” in height 9 Saw-Cutting
•Cost effective at $3.50 per square foot. Removal and replacement can cost $10 - $25 per square foot •Extends the useful life of a sidewalk and reduces life-cycle cost. •Leaves a cleaner edge line than grinding.
•Over time, the forces that produced the lift will continue to apply upward pressure, and it will require replacement. •The area that is cut will appear lighter for a while, but will weather quickly and will blend in. 10 Saw-Cutting Example
11 Saw-Cutting vs. Grinding
•Saw-Cutting leaves a smooth
finish
•Plane is uniform end to end
•Ability to achieve an ADA
complaint slope
12 •Grinding can leave rough edges
•Plane not uniform end to end
•Grinding can also make ADA
compliance difficult
Replacement
•Trip hazards greater than 2-1/2” in height are best
addressed by replacing the sidewalk panel.
•Saw-cutting would remove too much of the sidewalk thickness and weaken it. It could also expose rebar.
•Some panels are recommended for replacement because
they are badly cracked due to trucks driving on the
sidewalk or issues with utility boxes.
13 Order of Repairs – Saw-Cutting First
•Precision Concrete recommends addressing the areas
where saw-cutting can be used first.
•This would address most of the trip hazards
•Minor repairs would also be done at that time
•This can be performed quickly as Precision Concrete can be used through the Master Agreement with the CJPIA
14 Order of Repairs – Replacement
•A sidewalk replacement project would be put out to bid after the saw-cutting is completed. •In most areas the panels can be matched without a formal design •ADA compliance issues such as ramps may require a design •This would allow us to include any panels where saw-cutting or repair was attempted but did not work •Replacement could be coordinated with paving projects, utility work or other street repairs 15 Sidewalk Condition Assessment Results
•Types and number of repairs
•995 identified repair locations
•88 recommended to be removed and replaced
•676 recommended saw-cut locations
•195 spall patches and minor repairs
•0 tree root repairs
16 17
Saw-Cut Repair Locations
Spalls and Patch Repair Locations
18 Removal and Replacement Locations
19 Sidewalk Condition Assessment Results
•Repair
•Precision Saw-Cutting $98,557
•676 trip hazard removals
•Covers 18,285 square feet of sidewalk
•Patching and Filling of Spalls/Joints/Cracks $29,250
•195 patch locations
•6,884 estimated square feet
20 Sidewalk Condition Assessment Results
•Replacement $162,775
•88 replacement locations
•Covers 6,511 estimated square feet of sidewalk
•Total Estimated Construction Cost $290,582
* Replacement costs are estimated as of June 2025 and do not include design if needed or inspection 21 Request for Feedback
•Staff recommends proceeding with saw-cutting and
spall/crack repairs this fiscal year.
•Staff will return to City Council to approve a contract with Precision Concrete through the Master Agreement with CJPIA. •Staff will develop a replacement project strategy that accommodates other work to be performed next fiscal
year.
22 Related Issue – Pavement in Crosswalks
•Some crosswalks are in need of a light grinding and
paving along Price Street.
•This work would be performed under a separate contract 23 Related Issue – Pavement in Crosswalks
San Luis Avenue at Price Street
24 Related Issue – Pavement in Crosswalks
Pomeroy Avenue at Price Street
25 Downtown Sidewalk Condition Assessment
Questions?
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