Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Trip on a crack, break the city's back

"Fixing sidewalks the same way we fix streets shouldn’t be controversial."

Complaints over San Diego's crumbling sidewalks continue to chip away at the city's bottom line: documents obtained through public records requests show the city received more than 50 claims for damages caused by broken sidewalks in 2017.

As reported by the Reader, the city paid more than $5.3 million in settlements and legal judgements in 2017, the majority of which was a $4.85 million payout to cyclist Clifford Brown, who sustained major injuries after hitting a raised sidewalk in Del Cerro.

Not all claims have been settled and that number will likely increase. From October to December 2017, the city received 14 more claims, according to numbers from the city.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The trip-and-falls occurred along El Cajon Boulevard, in downtown, and even in new developments such as Civita.

In addition to new claims, the city continues to litigate, and settle, sidewalk claims from years prior.

Last week, the city council met in closed session to discuss a settlement in a 2016 lawsuit over a broken sidewalk. The lawsuit was filed by Elvia Gonzales in May 2016. In November the two sides agreed on a settlement, the amount of which has not been disclosed.

In other court cases, the city has decided to go against property owners to recoup potential losses over sidewalks.

In July 2017, a resident sued the City of San Diego after she tripped and fell on a sidewalk. In December the city filed a cross-complaint against a nearby property owner in hopes of seeking partial responsibility for the sidewalk condition.

The city's policy of trying to hold property owners responsible for sidewalks has come under some criticism from at least one public official.

In a January 5 op-ed, city councilmember David Alvarez criticized the city policy, stating that depending on homeowners to pay a portion to repair sidewalks only delays fixes.

"The current policy is simply unfair to taxpayers," wrote Alvarez. “Rather than trying to blame homeowners for broken sidewalks, the city should just fix them. That’s why for the last two years I have proposed revising this policy to require the basic maintenance of sidewalks by the city, except in cases where the sidewalk was damaged by the abutting property owner or third parties. Fixing sidewalks the same way we fix streets shouldn’t be controversial."

According to the city, more than $38 million is needed to fix San Diego sidewalks and jagged curb cuts.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

At Comedor Nishi a world of cuisines meet for brunch

A Mexican eatery with Japanese and French influences
Next Article

Memories of bonfires amid the pits off Palm

Before it was Ocean View Hills, it was party central

Complaints over San Diego's crumbling sidewalks continue to chip away at the city's bottom line: documents obtained through public records requests show the city received more than 50 claims for damages caused by broken sidewalks in 2017.

As reported by the Reader, the city paid more than $5.3 million in settlements and legal judgements in 2017, the majority of which was a $4.85 million payout to cyclist Clifford Brown, who sustained major injuries after hitting a raised sidewalk in Del Cerro.

Not all claims have been settled and that number will likely increase. From October to December 2017, the city received 14 more claims, according to numbers from the city.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The trip-and-falls occurred along El Cajon Boulevard, in downtown, and even in new developments such as Civita.

In addition to new claims, the city continues to litigate, and settle, sidewalk claims from years prior.

Last week, the city council met in closed session to discuss a settlement in a 2016 lawsuit over a broken sidewalk. The lawsuit was filed by Elvia Gonzales in May 2016. In November the two sides agreed on a settlement, the amount of which has not been disclosed.

In other court cases, the city has decided to go against property owners to recoup potential losses over sidewalks.

In July 2017, a resident sued the City of San Diego after she tripped and fell on a sidewalk. In December the city filed a cross-complaint against a nearby property owner in hopes of seeking partial responsibility for the sidewalk condition.

The city's policy of trying to hold property owners responsible for sidewalks has come under some criticism from at least one public official.

In a January 5 op-ed, city councilmember David Alvarez criticized the city policy, stating that depending on homeowners to pay a portion to repair sidewalks only delays fixes.

"The current policy is simply unfair to taxpayers," wrote Alvarez. “Rather than trying to blame homeowners for broken sidewalks, the city should just fix them. That’s why for the last two years I have proposed revising this policy to require the basic maintenance of sidewalks by the city, except in cases where the sidewalk was damaged by the abutting property owner or third parties. Fixing sidewalks the same way we fix streets shouldn’t be controversial."

According to the city, more than $38 million is needed to fix San Diego sidewalks and jagged curb cuts.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
Next Article

San Diego beaches not that nice to dogs

Bacteria and seawater itself not that great
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader