Grover Beach to build better sidewalks to enhance pedestrian accessibility throughout the city

GROVER BEACH, Calif. - Residents in Grover Beach will soon benefit from more complete sidewalks in the coming years.

Grover Beach City Council chose to emphasize sidewalk improvements as part of the adopted 2021-23 Major City Goals and recently approved a priority-based plan for completing sidewalk infill projects throughout the city.

The city hopes this will encourage residents to use alternate forms of transportation, reduce traffic and improve air quality.

“Creating additional sidewalks will help make Grover Beach a more ‘walkable’ city,” said Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee. “Walkable neighborhoods can help increase social interaction and sense of community, as well as assist our local economy by providing more opportunities for residents and businesses to interact and mingle.”

The city completed a citywide sidewalk inventory earlier this year to better understand the scale of need for sidewalk infill. Currently, approximately 59% of blocks in Grover Beach have complete sidewalk, 26% have limited sidewalk, 6% have no sidewalk and 9% of blocks with some sidewalk are close to complete.

To begin to address the additional sidewalk infill work, the Grover Beach City Council adopted the following priority framework so that the most urgent project needs are addressed first:

• Priority 1: Complete sidewalk infill on all major streets (including 4th Street, West Grand Avenue, Oak Park Boulevard, 13th Street, Farroll Road and The Pike) and within two blocks of points of interest (such as parks and schools).
• Priority 2: Complete additional sidewalk infill in a grid pattern with a goal of no more than three streets apart so residents need only walk approximately one or two blocks to access an uninterrupted sidewalk.
• Priority 3: Complete remaining sidewalk infill, prioritizing areas with existing concrete curb and gutter and without right-of-way impediments.

The city said the cost to infill all missing sidewalks across 509 blocks is estimated to be about $38 million.

Currently, the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has a Citywide Sidewalk Infill project with a total of $450,000 over a five-year period.

The City’s work this year will focus on designing and constructing new sidewalks on sections of South 4th Street, South 10th Street, Mentone Avenue and North 9th Street.

“In recent years, the City has added approximately two miles of sidewalks and pathways in conjunction with Measure K-14 street improvements. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements were also completed recently near Grover Beach Elementary School, funded by the Safe Routes to School program,” said Matthew Bronson, Grover Beach City Manager. “While additional funding will be needed, Council’s prioritization of sidewalk projects reinforces our commitment to make Grover Beach accessible for all.”

The city said more information will be provided in the coming months as this program is finalized and funded.