You've seen the traffic cones — repairs are a part of life in San Diego, but the City of San Diego is hoping to fix that. As part of his "2023 State of the City Address," Mayor Todd Gloria announced the city has approved funding to crack down on necessary repairs to public infrastructure like sidewalks, roads, and traffic lights.

Time to rebuild

Last year, Gloria announced his "Ready To Rebuild" initiative that promised more repairs down the road. This added funding to the Financial Year 2023 budget to help the city transition out of the pandemic and target neglected projects including:

$77 million to repair and resurface roads.
$8 million to fix traffic lights, mend sidewalks and curbs, and remove graffiti and weeds.
$4.1 million for additional street sweeping.
$8.8 million to prepare for a major stormwater system overhaul.

Pump the brakes, why do roads get so much more funding than sidewalks? Owners have the responsibility to fix sidewalks directly outside of their properties. The city's "50/50 Cost Sharing Program" aims to defray costs, but in his speech, Gloria committed to easing regulations preventing sidewalk repairs and making them more affordable for property owners.

A curb waiting for its repair. | Photo via Michael Beausoleil + SDtoday

Repair priorities

San Diego is a big city, but it's committed to making repairs quickly. In November 2022, amendments were made to the "Street Preservation Ordinance" to ensure public and private entities make necessary repairs to roads — like filling holes or resurfacing — in a timely fashion.

As the city continues making improvements, equity is a top priority. Officials will work to adhere to the "Build Better SD" initiative that helps underserved communities receive better amenities through repairs or by adding infrastructure like sidewalks where they're lacking.

What's happening now?

After major storms impacted San Diego this month, the city has been busy filling additional potholes left on streets. The city is always responsible for these repairs, but in this case, staffing was increased to address a backlog of 1,600 pothole reports so crews could ramp up daily repairs.

Locals can help by reporting potential projects on the Get It Done app, by calling (619) 527-7500, or by using the city's services website to submit a repair request.