City seeks input from residents on 2025 sidewalk replacement list

Published by

Barbara Domer

January 18, 2025

The City of Valparaiso’s Engineering team is hard at work developing the list of sidewalk replacement that will be tackled during the 2025 paving season. They need your input on which sidewalks in your neighborhood/street are in need of replacement.

We secured a significant increase in the total sidewalk budget in 2025. Half of the total budget is allocated to resident sidewalk concerns.

All residents with sidewalk replacement requests can log on to the city website and navigate to Valpo Voice A Concern (link below) and submit a ticket to City Services selecting the topic Sidewalk Inspection and identify the specific location in need of replacement.

The Engineering team will focus first on entire blocks of sidewalk replacement with the next tier being smaller, targeted areas. All requests submitted in Valpo Voice will be reviewed by the Engineering team to determine the priority for 2025 and the final list will be posted on the city website. Your feedback is appreciated and will be taken into consideration, though please note that action may not be guaranteed.

Valpo Voice | Valparaiso, IN – Official Website To better serve Valparaiso residents, the City of Valparaiso offers Valpo Voice, a helpful way to report a concern and initiate service. Valpo Voice complements the city’s new consolidation of Utilities and Public Works into a single unified City Services department, enhancing efficiency and service.www.ci.valparaiso.in.us

22 responses to “City seeks input from residents on 2025 sidewalk replacement list”

Jacob Chester

January 18, 2025

The 600 block of Elmhurst Avenue has some pretty bad stretches of sidewalk and curbs. I’ve seen 2 different people roll their ankle on the curbs in the last year.

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Frieda Davison

January 18, 2025

600 and 700 blocks of Elmhurst Ave have no links for sidewalks Grove and Bond as well are lacking in sidewalks near Elmhurst. We would really appreciate this being implemented!! It makes a huge difference for the people in this neighborhood

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Hi Frieda! Happy New Year to you and your family! Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Robert Byerly

January 18, 2025

The west side of the 1100 block of Franklin St. needs attention. Many sections are badly broken up and it ends 2 sections short at the north end.

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Holli Carpenter

January 18, 2025

806 E Chicago

The city removed a tree and broke/cracked the sidewalk now the water floods into my driveway when it rains!
Also to my West one of the squares has sunken so badly when the water line was put in that we can’t get the stroller over that gap

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
George Volochati

January 18, 2025

McKinley and Napoleon

Uneven and holds water and ice

Dead trees in parkway also cause a hazard

Tree roots caused buckling of side walk

Lots of school children and parents use this side walk

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Standing water is an issue of more immediate concern for the engineering team. Please make sure to submit your list and dead trees to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  The topic of concern to identify for each is ‘sidewalk inspections’ and trees is ‘tree inspections’
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Steven Hojnacki

January 18, 2025

institute street north side between Michigan and Morgan

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Jennifer Zalaker

January 18, 2025

I live on the corner of Bond & Elmhurst, which is a heavily trafficked 2-way stop and is also a bus stop for the high school kids. There are zero sidewalks for these kids and neighborhood pedestrians to walk and stand on. They are forced to walk/stand in the street. I would love to see sidewalks on the North end of Elmhurst, if for nothing more than increased safety!!!

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Bre lang

January 19, 2025

Madison and bond

Elmhurst

Madison between Hope and the school

my kids can’t walk to school , memorial or bf without being in the road most of the time or taking a way longer route

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 19, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below!
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
Rebecca Tomerlin

January 20, 2025

Lafayette and McKinley has an issue on the SouthWest Corner. There isn’t a drain so all of the water rests in a sidewalk and due to draining issues the sidewalk is sinking so there is nowhere for the water to go. I have video and photos of this issue. Also, in the last week I have seen several residents on Lafayette between Northview and McKinley require services to work on their sewer lines. It seems as though when the snow melts or there is heavy rain the citysewers aren’t working properly.

Yes, this is more than just a sidewalk issue but I am not sure fixing only the sidewalk will correct the several inches of water or ice that forms. With the school only one block away I feel this should be addressed so the kids I see don’t have to continue walking in the street.

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 20, 2025
  
  Hi- Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your concern to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below! You can submit your concern with the topic of sidewalk inspection but I would suggest also submitting a second request with topic of “other” to address the standing water on the sidewalk. The Engineering department is responsible to address issues of standing water in city rights of way (sidewalks). These concerns may or may not be related.
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Reply
  1. Barbara Domer
    
    January 21, 2025
    
    Hi- I sent an email to the city engineer (Max Rehlander) and he responded as follows:
    “We are re-paving Lafayette for this stretch and are reviewing the drainage issue near McKinley.
    I’ll send this to our Utilities team regarding the work on the sewer lines.”
    
    Please log your concerns in Valpo voice if you have not done so already. It is important resident concerns are documented in the portal.
    Thank you.
2. Barbara Domer
  
  January 21, 2025
  
  Hi- I sent an email to the city engineer (Max Rehlander) and he responded as follows:
  “We are re-paving Lafayette for this stretch and are reviewing the drainage issue near McKinley.
  I’ll send this to our Utilities team regarding the work on the sewer lines.”
  
  Please log your concerns in Valpo voice if you have not done so already. It is important resident concerns are documented in the portal.
  Thank you.
  
  Reply
J P

January 28, 2025

Hello – the 400 block of Elmhurst on the east side has very dangerous sections of walks. Private asphalt drives laid over crumbling walks. Thank you.
(I m o – many decades of under-investment in neighborhoods). Appreciate the effort to correct.

Reply
1. Barbara Domer
  
  January 28, 2025
  
  Thank you for the response! Please make sure to submit your list to Valpo voice a concern on the city’s website, link is below! The engineering department is reviewing all entries through the Valpo Voice A concern portal. They are not reviewing this website.
  
  https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1736/Valpo-Voice
  
  Thank you,
  Barbara Domer
  
  Reply