DETROIT – Broken, crumbled sidewalks on Detroit’s west side are finally getting fixed, and for residents who have waited years for the repairs, it means more than just smoother pavement.
“This is really about investing in neighborhoods’ basic quality of life improvements, safety, accessibility, and ensuring that people actually feel the investments here in the neighborhood,” said Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield.
Sheffield heard plenty about problem sidewalks during her time on the city council, and now those pleas for help are being answered, starting at Murray Hill Street and Pembroke Avenue.
“Everything is wear and tear, and there comes a time when you have to replace them,” said Detroit resident Terrolyn Campbell-Wheeler.
Campbell-Wheeler had the stretch of sidewalk in front of her Prevost Street home repaired last week.
“It’s the safety of the residents, the accessibility of the residents,” Campbell-Wheeler said.
Years of waiting, now underway
Some residents have been on the repair list for years.
Ron Brundidge, director of the Detroit Department of Public Works, said the wait has been significant for some households.
“Some of the residents getting new sidewalks this year have been waiting as long as five years,” Brundidge said.
Sherri Rhetta says she has been on the list for 2.5 years.
For her, the stakes are personal; she cares for her mother, and the damaged sidewalks made getting around difficult.
“We had to put her on the grass and pull her up, and then she had a walker,” Rhetta said.
When crews finally showed up, Rhetta says she could not contain her excitement.
“I am so excited when they put the sticker on my door,” Rhetta said.
Citywide repairs, with more to come
The west side is not the only community seeing progress.
Repairs are happening throughout Detroit, and all 6,300 sidewalks currently on the city’s backlog list are expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The city is also already accepting requests for next year’s construction season.