Worcester eyes paying for new sidewalks near schools

Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read
Recently redone sidewalks near the Heard Street Discovery Academy on Heard Street in Worcester.
Recently redone sidewalks near the Heard Street Discovery Academy on Heard Street in Worcester.

WORCESTER — The city will investigate if it can prioritize sidewalk construction near schools and use city money — not abutters’ money — to pay for it.

“I’m suggesting the administration and council get together to prioritize sidewalks near schools and waive those fees if financially possible,” District 3 Councilor George Russell said. “We don’t have the money to do it citywide. What I’m suggesting is we prioritize areas near schools where kids are walking.”

Russell explained that sidewalk construction for most streets in the city is similar to private-street conversion. Residents can petition the city to build sidewalks on streets lacking such infrastructure, but it has been standard practice for the city to then bill abutters for the job based on their frontage.

But Russell said this can put a financial burden on residents and discourage the construction of sidewalks.

Meanwhile, many roads in the city that have been built in the past lack sidewalks. When near schools, this presents a safety issue.

Recently redone sidewalks near the Heard Street Discovery Academy on Heard Street in Worcester.
Recently redone sidewalks near the Heard Street Discovery Academy on Heard Street in Worcester.

At a Public Works subcommittee last week, however, the city requested that the council waive the fees for abutters for a recently completed project near the Heard Street Discovery Academy on Heard Street.

Russell, who is chairman of the committee, said “a lightbulb went off in my head,” that this could be done for similar projects near schools. He presented that option to councilors during the City Council’s Tuesday night meeting.

At-Large Councilor Thu Nguyen signed on to the request.

“We have an opportunity to do this, to think about students welfare but also us as a city…to be a walking-friendly city and accessible,” Nguyen said.

District 1 Councilor Sean Rose agreed.

“This order is timely from a long time ago, honestly,” Rose said, signing on to the request.

The rest of the council signed on as well.

Meanwhile, Russell said he was frustrated that he and other councilors did not previously know such a waiver was an option.

“I’ve been a councilor for a decade now and I’ve been on the Public Works Committee approving streets and subdivisions for eight years before council,” Russell said. “I’ve been around a while.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester might pay for new sidewalks near schools without abutters fee