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Crumbling Sidewalks Putting Elderly In Danger

WOODLAND (CBS13) — The people who live on Locust Street in Woodland are tired of dealing with crumbling and deteriorating sidewalks.

They say the sidewalks are becoming constant trip hazards and want them repaired.

"I'm on my third wheelchair," Joe Osorio said.

Now, Osorio is trying to avoid being forced to buy his fourth wheelchair. He says the sidewalks on Locust Street where he lives are so broken that they cause him pain, and he wants them fixed.

"I've had back surgery and every time I hit a bad spot I can feel it in my back really bad," he said.

He's not alone. Bryon Lowe says the badly damaged sidewalks have hurt him too.

"I've bashed them and had to get a new bike tire. I've fallen off the bike a couple of times because of the sidewalks and the streets," he said.

READ: Police: Woman, Boy Hurt In Woodland Shooting

CBS13 has learned even though sidewalks are public, property owners have to pay to fix them under city code, but that doesn't necessarily mean city public works won't step in to help. In fact, in the past six years, the city has shaved down approximately 4,600 sidewalks.

"Unfortunately it cost a lot to fix sidewalks and we try not to put that burden on the property owners," said City of Woodland Public Works Infrastructure Administrator Rob Sanders.

Sanders says there are several factors taken into consideration when prioritizing sidewalk repairs including the severity of the damage, how big of a trip hazard it creates, if the sidewalk near a convalescent home or school, and how often is the sidewalk used.

"If it's an immediate hazard, we will try to get to it sooner. If it is a larger offset, that requires a higher dollar amount to repair it. Is it a complete reconstruction of the sidewalk that gets put on a list and we will have to address it down the road," Sanders said.

He says typically the money to pay for repairs comes out of the city's general fund. The problem is those funds get tapped out quickly.

As for Osorio, he just wants to feel safe again.

"They need to do something about it," Osorio.

You can request a sidewalk repair directly through your cellphone on the City of Woodland app.

ALSO: Report Broken Sidewalks In Your Area

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