City will issue bid this month seeking local contractors, especially minority, women and veteran-owned businesses, to work on the sidewalk program
Walsh administration partners with Harvard Kennedy School on contractor survey to improve how Syracuse uses procurement and contracting to achieve better and more equitable outcomes
Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh today reported two miles of progress on municipal sidewalks in the first month since funding for the program was approved. Mayor Walsh made the announcement Friday standing at a near west side street corner that is among the first to get new sidewalks.
“The corner of Tioga Street and Marcellus Street is an example of what needed to change in our City and what we can accomplish with the municipal sidewalk program. When I was here two months ago, this corner had broken and incomplete sidewalks. It was places like this that sent people walking in the streets near parks and schools,” said Mayor Walsh. “The pandemic highlighted the importance of safe, walkable neighborhoods. With American Rescue Plan relief, we have been able to move the program forward in critical places where there was no realistic path to fixing sidewalks. We will continue this work throughout the entire City in the months and years ahead.”
In addition to sidewalk construction at the corner of Tioga Street and Marcellus Street, the City’s Department of Public Works has completed or started new sidewalks at:
- Cortland Avenue from Midland Avenue to South Avenue
- Burnet Avenue from Beech Street to Lodi Street
- Danforth Street from Park Street to Sunset Avenue
- Tioga Street from Fayette Street to Tully Street
- Vincent Road from Comstock Avenue to Jamesville Avenue
- Seeley Ave from Salina Street to dead end
The work finished or underway represents 11,000 linear feet of sidewalks. In the remaining months of the 2021 construction season, the City expects to replace or repair aging sections of sidewalks across nearly 20 miles of sidewalks, subject to weather conditions.
The City’s Department of Engineering will issue bids later this month for contractors to work on the municipal sidewalk program and is putting a strong focus on recruiting local minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. The bid will be posted on the Procurement page of the city website, www.syrgov.net.
For companies interested in learning more about opportunities to be a city supplier and provide input on the City’s procurement processes, a survey will be open until Friday, August 20 at https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0epktvi0HdtL6uO. The survey is being conducted by the City’s Office of Accountability, Performance and Innovation in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab. The results will be used to help city government use procurement and contracting to achieve better and more equitable outcomes for residents, businesses, and community stakeholders.
