HURRYING TO FIX QNS. SIDEWALKS

With hundreds of cracked or damaged sidewalks around Queens, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a pilot program aimed at expediting necessary repairs while resolving related violations against property owners.

As announced, the DOT initiative— overseen through its Office of Sidewalk Management—aims to have work crews repair defective sidewalks in most areas of the borough within 45 days of receiving a request submitted by a homeowner in writing or online. According to the agency, there are currently more than 5,000 properties around Queens which have outstanding sidewalk violations.

When the DOT issues a sidewalk violation, the homeowner has the option of having the concrete pathways in front of their home repaired privately, or to have DOT workers make the necessary repairs at the property owner’s expense. If the repairs are not made in a timely manner, the DOT may have a private contractor make the repairs and bill the owner for the work.

Though sidewalks are technically property of the city, homeowners are responsible for their maintenance and may be held liable for any injuries sustained by an individual from an encounter with a damaged pathway.

According to the agency, 40 percent of property owners with sidewalk violations opt to make the repairs through a private contractor. Those who request that the city perform the sidewalk improvements often have to wait months or several years before the work can be completed, it was noted.

In announcing the Expedited Sidewalk Repair Program last Tuesday, Oct. 27, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan indicated that expediting sidewalk repairs around Queens would help eliminate safety hazards while improving the quality of life for residents. The new sidewalks, it was noted, would also decrease the liability faced by homeowners in the event someone sues them after being injured by a damaged sidewalk in front of their residence.

“Fixing cracked and uneven walkways shouldn’t have to be a drawn-out task, which is why this program streamlines the repair process to let homeowners who want to make repairs do so quickly,” said Sadik-Khan in a statement.

Under the expedited repair program, property owners may request a DOT contractor to make the improvements at a cost of between $11 and $13 per square foot, which is higher than the current rate charged by the DOT (between $8 and $9 per square foot).

Based on the average 200 square feet of sidewalk adjacent to a typical one-family home in Queens, homeowners could be charged anywhere between $2,200 and $2,600 if it is determined entire pathway must be repaired.

It was noted that certain areas of Queens—the confines of Community Boards 8 (Fresh Meadows, Jamaica Estates, Holliswood, Flushing South, Utopia, Kew Gardens Hills, Briarwood), 9 (Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach) and 11 (Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, East Flushing, Oakland Gardens, Hollis Hills)—are ineligible since the DOT currently has sidewalk repair contracts underway in each district.

Properties with four or more residential units are also not eligible, as are locations scheduled for capital reconstruction, vaulted properties and sidewalks with distinctive features such as bluestone (slate), granite or decorative pavement.

The program runs through November 2010. For more information, or to file a request for repairs, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/dot. The DOT website also has a list of contractors licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to perform sidewalk improvements.

It was noted that the city has previously launched a pilot program through the Parks Department to evaluate and repair (free of charge) sidewalks that have been uprooted or damaged by street trees. Call 311 or visit www.nycgovparks.org for more information.