YOUNGSTOWN — More than $1 million worth of work to replace sidewalks throughout the city should begin this fall.

Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works, said he needs to go over the sidewalk replacement priorities with council members, who are using American Rescue Plan funds for the work, before the city could seek proposals from contractors.

“We know how much we’re spending,” he said. “We just need to pick locations and put them in the contract.”

The money can be used for not only sidewalks, but for curbs and drive approaches, Shasho said.

“I need locations before we go out for bid,” he said. “It wouldn’t be unheard of for us to do this in the fall. We’ve done it before. We’ve bid sidewalk programs in the fall before. I would say early fall. We’re ready to go. We just need the locations. We have the budgeted amounts.”

The city will use just one contractor for the work as the city would get a better price from one rather than multiple companies, Shasho said.

FUNDING APPROVAL

City council on April 19 approved spending $1,046,500 in ARP funds on improving sidewalks in five of the seven wards.

The money is coming from the $14 million in ARP funding — $2 million per ward — that council members voted in April 2022 to give themselves.

The allocation is $82,000 for the 1st Ward, $250,000 each for the 2nd and 7th Wards, $114,500 for the 5th Ward and $350,000 for the 6th Ward.

It will cost about $150 to $200 to replace one sidewalk square, which is five feet by five feet and four to five inches thick, Shasho said.

While city law requires property owners to maintain their own sidewalks, council members say some residents don’t have the financial resources to do so.

Each council member has different priorities for the sidewalks.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, wants to put them in residential neighborhoods while Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, plans to focus on the Glenwood Avenue corridor.

The only wards not participating in the citywide program are the 3rd and 4th. The 3rd Ward takes in most of the city’s North Side while the 4th is the upper West Side.

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said he plans to sponsor legislation later this year for sidewalk improvements in high-pedestrian traffic areas including on and near Mahoning Avenue.

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

Meanwhile, because of low vehicular numbers, a traffic light at the corner of Midlothian Boulevard and Zedaker Street has been replaced by stop signs at the latter street.

The same will occur in about three months to a traffic light at the corner of Midlothian Boulevard and Hillman Street. The traffic light already has changed to a flashing red on Hillman and a flashing yellow on Midlothian.

This was done over the objections of Davis, who represents the area.

There isn’t any justification for keeping traffic lights at the two intersections, Shasho said, pointing to a report by Woolpert Engineering of Cleveland that showed a low traffic count at both.

Davis asked if there is any penalty for not following the traffic study, and Shasho said there is not — but there isn’t any need for the lights.

The final decision on removing the light at the Hillman-Midlothian intersection rests with Mayor Jamael Tito Brown. Davis urged people to call Brown asking him to keep the light.

The two intersections were reviewed as part of a project to upgrade Midlothian between Glenwood Avenue and Interstate 680 that reduces lanes from two in each direction to one in each direction with a turning lane.