Thursday, October 1, 2026
The City of Olympia’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) is going to get a briefing on the city’s effort to develop a clearer sidewalk repair policy.
The city is creating comprehensive sidewalk maintenance policies and establishing a dedicated repair crew in 2026 to address deteriorating sidewalk conditions. The briefing is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19.
A recent citywide inventory identified nearly 28,000 damaged sidewalk areas. The inventory was requested by the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) following a November 2023 briefing on the city’s sidewalk repair approach. The results were presented to the LUEC and BPAC in April and May 2024.
City code requires property owners to repair sidewalks adjacent to their properties. The city currently maintains sidewalks in downtown areas and along major corridors where street trees are present and pedestrian traffic is high.
In 2024, the city spent $450,000 to repair 19 sidewalk sites using contractors, while city crews completed repairs on an additional 25 locations.
This year, an estimated $320,000 is being spent to repair two full blocks, one on Kenyon Street south of Harrison Avenue and on State Avenue between Adams and Jefferson streets.
The city council is considering the formation of a four-person sidewalk repair crew beginning in 2026. The initiative would cost approximately $681,000 annually, plus a one-time $149,000 investment in a mini excavator. The crew would repair 20-25 sites per year.
Funding for the program would come from the 0.1% Transportation Benefit District sales tax approved by the city council in 2023.
City staff are also developing an online tool to outline sidewalk repair issues, and gather public feedback on maintenance and repair prioritization strategies.
11 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
chrispc2u
In the 45th and College area they used to cut edges of concrete pushed up by tree routes. Now they just put down asphalt and not always in the most effective ways. Go back to cutting concrete, it produces a better result.
Monday, November 17, 2025 Report this
Gretchen
Around 2011 the city of Olympia put forward a tax proposal for sidewalks and parks. There was a specific schedule of sidewalk installation in the text of the proposal. The special tax was voted in, but the promised sidewalk work did not materialize. Now I am wondering how that money got spent.
Monday, November 17, 2025 Report this
BobJacobs
It has been pointed out that far more progress could be made if the city focused on lots of little sidewalk projects rather than a few large ones. Benefit/cost analysis would favor that.
It has also been pointed out that if we continue to have large street trees, then we need to budget for sidewalk replacements every ten years or so, at every tree, which is extremely expensive. It does not appear that the city is willing to face the costs of large trees, nor examine alternatives.
Bob Jacobs
Monday, November 17, 2025 Report this
jimlazar
Gretchen: You are correct that there was a specific proposed list of sidewalks projects in the 2004 voted utility tax measure. And you are correct that the City did not follow that list. But a lot of sidewalks have been built with the money, and it has not been spent on other things. I was a volunteer on the campaign for the voted measure, and have watched the spending pretty carefully.
Two things changed.
First, right after it passed, the Department of Ecology adopted new stormwater regulations, which require new sidewalk projects to also include new stormwater management, to protect stream quality. In some cases, this doubled or tripled the cost of sidewalk projects.
Second, the City decided to spend some of the money on major roads that the 2003 sidewalk plan assumed would be paid for with other funds. The biggest example of that is the project just beginning construction along Fones Road. That was not expected to be paid from the sidewalk fund, but from development impact fees and grants. The City Council decided to spend $3 million from the sidewalk fund for this project. I was not happy with that decision, and felt betrayed by the City Council
Here is an actual list of the projects that have been built so far with the voted utility tax sidewalk money. The next project up is a very expensive sidewalk project along Elliott Ave. NW.
• Division Street NW from Walnut Road to Conger Avenue
• Bigelow Avenue NE from Puget Street to Central Street
• San Francisco Avenue NE from East Bay Drive to Bethel Street
• Brawne Avenue NW from Rogers Street to West Bay Drive
• Bush Avenue NW from Birch Street to Division Street
• Boulevard Road SE from 22nd Avenue to Log Cabin Road
• Decatur Street SW from 9th Avenue to 14th Avenue
• Henderson Boulevard SE from Watershed Park to Carlyon Avenue
• Miller Avenue NE from Fir Street to Friendly Grove Road
• West Bay Drive NW from Schneider Hill Road to Garfield Avenue
• 22nd Avenue SE from Cain Road to Boulevard Road
• Fern Street SW from 9th Avenue to 14th Avenue
• 26th Avenue NE from Gull Harbor Road to Bethel Street
• Division Street NW from Walnut Road to Conger Avenue
• Bigelow Avenue NE from Puget Street to Central Street
• San Francisco Avenue NE from East Bay Drive to Bethel Street
• Brawne Avenue NW from Rogers Street to West Bay Drive
• Bush Avenue NW from Birch Street to Division Street
• Boulevard Road SE from 22nd Avenue to Log Cabin Road
• Decatur Street SW from 9th Avenue to 14th Avenue
• Henderson Boulevard SE from Watershed Park to Carlyon Avenue
• Miller Avenue NE from Fir Street to Friendly Grove Road
• West Bay Drive NW from Schneider Hill Road to Garfield Avenue
• 22nd Avenue SE from Cain Road to Boulevard Road
• Fern Street SW from 9th Avenue to 14th Avenue
• 26th Avenue NE from Gull Harbor Road to Bethel Street
Monday, November 17, 2025 Report this
Larry Dzieza
Bob Jacobs is right to call for also fixing dangerous sidewalks that don't require a massive replacement and equally massive cost. We need to streamline the work of fixing our broken sidewalks.
By grinding down uneven sidewalks and using a device known as a "Sidewalk Super Sucker" like Lacey does many trip hazard and accessibility challenging sidewalks can be made safe. Yes, this approach won’t solve all our sidewalk problems, but it is the single most cost-effective and quickest way of making miles of sidewalks usable, safer and more accessible. And it will send a signal to Olympians that the city is making a difference where they live, being smart with their money and increasing their confidence in our elected government.
1. Concentrate mainly on repairs as they don’t require major design work because you are fixing what is already there.
2. Hire a dedicated crew of city workers to do the work. Give them the tools and materials and they would get twice the amount of work done at one-half the cost of contracting it out.
3. Spread the work throughout the city. Show each neighborhood in the city that you are using their tax dollars in ways that have a visible benefit to them where they live.
4. We know where the problems are. The city did a sidewalk survey, and many neighborhoods have identified problems using the Council of Neighborhoods GIS Sidewalk app. Pick an area of the city, and fix as many as you can in day or two and then move on to the next neighborhood.
5. Let the public see this work being done. While they work on the sidewalk the crew should place signs on either end of the work area: “Your Olympia Tax Dollars at Work” “A Get Stuff Done Initiative”.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
Mugwump
I’ve really enjoyed reading the cogent and detailed comments regarding this story. Sadly, the words that popped to mind when reading the story itself were “inept” and “feckless”. I would truly love to support my local government. I would even consider it a privilege to pay my local taxes. But when I look around my neighborhood and city at the neglect and incompetence that government has displayed, dithering endlessly in study and consultation I wonder if any incumbent member can honorably ask for another term.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
wolfmanner
One bad area is the sidewalk in front of Safeway on the west side. Sidewalks are uplifted from 2001 earthquake. Never fixed. Rats can be seen crawling in and out.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
DudeInOlympia
I have no reason to think otherwise, but I really hope that the 'repair prioritization strategies' include ADA accessibility as one of the highest priority repairs. For example, yesterday evening I was walking on the east side of Washington street between 4th and State and it is impossible for a wheelchair to get past. Any able-bodied person who is making decisions on which egregious crack to prioritize should rent a wheelchair and try it themselves, fix the most impossible points first.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
2theroots
This needs to be done in a way that does not result in cutting down all our sidewalk teees. The trees are providing stormwater management, shade, drawing down carbon and pollution which provide health benefits, and providing animal habits to name only some of the things they do. There are a number of methods used by other cities that can make the sidewalks not trip hazards and also wheelchair accessible that do not involve cutting the trees down.
The city has not redone its tree policy in 15 years. If they would we could get a list of appropriate street trees to plant so that developers would stop planting ones that have roots close to the surface (like Norway maple's - not a good choice.) Preplanning can avoid a lot of problems.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
LindaD
The city pays for repairs in front of businesses, but homeowners pay for repairs in front of our homes. I'm going to guess all those apartment buildings get the city to pay for repairs as well. That means rental owners get yet another cost, while the city caps rents yet exempts all those corporate apartment owners.
If you don't have sidewalks, fight to the end to avoid getting any! They will cost you forever. And does the property owner assume the liability if someone is hurt because the sidewalk is in disrepair?
Then we cut down the trees, which are essential for good air and quality of life, thus increasing costs, rather than just make room for them. I'm generally supportive of government efforts, but the city of Olympia makes it a challenge.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
Alex360
Those costs are insane, sounds like reevaluating the process is necessary. What's the cost breakdown of each piece of the process and does that process requirement bring more value than safe sidewalks? I'm sure the answer is generally no.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this