Frankenmuth

The City of Frankenmuth has approximately 45 miles of sidewalks. Each year, the City audits the existing sidewalks and determines areas of repair. Frankenmuth is proud of its sidewalk maintenance program and of being a walkable community. If it seems like we replace and repair a lot of sidewalks each year... We do! Part of it is an aggressive maintenance schedule but the other part is that the beautiful trees that we have planted and maintained near the sidewalk can create and contribute to sidewalk disruption. The trees help make the City what it is – but it also makes us more diligent in terms of sidewalks. Last fiscal year (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019) the City budgeted $54,000 for sidewalks. Why do you only replace small portions of the sidewalk at a time? The City's goal is to ensure that sidewalks are safe to walk. We rarely will replace long stretches of sidewalk because for the most part, our sidewalks are in decent condition. The City only replaces and repairs what is needed. Who decides which sidewalk gets replaced? How do they decide? Sometimes, we will get a complaint from a resident regarding a dip in a sidewalk or a place where sidewalks have created a potential trip hazard. Mainly though, our staff walks the streets and makes note of sidewalks in need of extra attention. Sometimes we have to make changes to sidewalks even when they look decent because we are doing repairs to the road. If we are resurfacing a road (not just maintenance work but basically rebuilding the road) federal guidelines require that the City replaces or provides a new sidewalk ramp that meets current Americans with Disabilities Act standards. This can be expensive – one approach can be several thousand dollars. This is why you will see some sidewalks that have the truncated domes (raised bumpy circles) at the area where the sloped sidewalk meets the road while others do not. Why do some sidewalks just have scrap marks and others get pulled out? City standards are that a sidewalk that is heaved less than an inch will be "ground" down to create a flat and trip free surface (grinding the sidewalk is not always pretty but it's effective and allows us to stretch our budget and still accomplish our goals of safe walking). Sidewalks that have more than inch of grade difference will be replaced. The City's standards are pretty aggressive in terms of sidewalk maintenance and they have been that way for quite a while. The City is proud that our community is walkable and wants to focus on not only keeping it that way but improving it. A (Side)Walkable City By July, if you happen down Craemer Court or Craemer Drive, you'll drive over them. Thanks to the Scrap Tire Market Development Grant, the City of Frankenmuth will be resurfacing Craemer Court and Cramer Drive this construction season. These two streets had been identified for a few years as needing repairs and replacement. In addition to the resurfacing, edge drain will be installed. Drainage improvements will help extend the life of this soon- to-be resurfaced road. There are substantial benefits to this Scrap Tire Market Development Grant – funding assistance, environmental improvements and more. Through this competitive grant process hosted by the Department of Environmental Quality, the City receives matching funds of up to 50% of the project cost. While the use of the recycled materials increases the cost, the grant paying 50% means that the City is still paying less than 75% of the traditional cost of repaving the road. It is estimated that this project will use approximately 1,525 scrap tires. By reducing the amount of virgin materials required for asphalt, we are creating a product with long term sustainability and promoting a new technology. In addition to the environmental benefits, the longevity of the road will be enhanced which helps reduce future maintenance costs. Through a competitive bid process, the City awarded the contract to Green Tech, Inc. Residents on the impacted streets will be contacted directly prior to work starting. The contract should be complete by July. What Can You Do With Old Tires? 5

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