Detroit kicks off $9.5M program to replace 6,300 broken sidewalks

A long-standing issue across Detroit neighborhoods is getting attention: crumbling sidewalks.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says help is on the way, with more than 6,000 sidewalks expected to be replaced by the end of the 2026 construction season.

The city has approved $8 million for sidewalk repairs, along with an additional $1.5 million in funding. Crews are already getting to work, pouring fresh concrete on Monday outside a home in District 2.

Mayor Sheffield says these improvements are long overdue and reflect what residents have consistently been asking for.

"As we see Detroit rise higher, you have people who've been in their homes 30, 40 years just asking for basic quality-of-life improvements like a sidewalk," Sheffield said. "We're prioritizing those issues so neighborhoods are invested in. We're showing that neighborhoods matter."

Some homeowners say they have been waiting years to see repairs.

Cameron Williams, who lives near a newly repaired sidewalk in northwest Detroit, says the upgrades will make a big difference for families like his.

"Me and my cousins, we have a generation under us; we all have children," Williams said. "We like to take our kids to the park. Now we can let them ride their bikes. It will make it a lot safer for them and a lot easier for us to enjoy and let them go play."

In District 2 alone, the city plans to repair more than 800 sidewalks this construction season.

Detroit Public Works Director Ron Brundidge says the city is working closely with contractors to make sure the work stays on track.

"We have made sure the contractors we hired have adequate resources to move at a pace that allows all the work to be completed this construction season," Brundidge said. "We are going to be tracking every step of the way."

While the city's 2026 repair schedule is already full, officials say residents can now begin submitting requests for sidewalk repairs in 2027.