Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program Follow-up Memo

A photo collage of six sidewalk sections, each with damages that pose a risk to passersby. Some have sharp drops that pose a tripping hazard; others show cracks or potholes. One shows a recently patched sidewalk unlevel with adjacent pavement.

We cannot follow up on the Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program audit because the city discontinued the program.

We published our original audit of the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure’s Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program in November 2020. That audit resulted in 19 recommendations to improve the program’s design as well as the department’s implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the program.

Since the original audit was published, Transportation & Infrastructure ended the Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program and began creating a new program to repair and maintain city sidewalks.

In November 2022, Denver voters passed a voter-initiated ordinance — called Denver Deserves Sidewalks — to move the responsibility of repairing and maintaining sidewalks from property owners to the city. The initiative also set up an annual fee to pay for the city-run program. Under this new program, Denver property owners will pay based on how many linear feet of sidewalk is next to their property. For instance, property owners who live on a corner lot will be responsible for each side of their property. This applies regardless of whether their land borders a street on the front, side, or back. 

Auditor's Letter

September 7, 2023

In keeping with generally accepted government auditing standards and Auditor’s Office policy, as authorized by city ordinance, we have a responsibility to monitor and follow up on audit recommendations to ensure city agencies address audit findings through appropriate corrective action and to aid us in planning future audits.

After we published the “Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program” audit report in November 2020, the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure discontinued the program. Therefore, we cannot conduct a regular follow-up audit.

During the original audit, we found the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure did not adequately design the Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program to align with federal disability access standards or equitably offer affordability options. Additionally, the department had not effectively implemented or monitored the program to ensure repairs were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act or that they were being completed in a timely manner.

Denver voters passed a new sidewalk repair initiative in 2022 but Transportation & Infrastructure has not progressed far enough in implementing that initiative for us to follow up on our original audit’s recommendations. Consequently, we may revisit these risk areas in future audits to ensure the city takes appropriate corrective action.

We appreciate the leaders and team members at the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure who shared their time and knowledge with us throughout the audit and the attempted follow-up process. Please contact me at 720-913-5000 with any questions..

Denver Auditor's Office

Auditor's Signature
Timothy O'Brien, CPA

Timothy O'Brien Official Headshot

AUDITOR TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, CPA
Denver Auditor

Denver Auditor´s Office

201 W. Colfax Ave. #705 Denver, CO 80202
Email: auditor@denvergov.org
Call: 720-913-5000
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