may not be a city asset but those of another utility company or the private property owner. There is an Encroachments Section on the inspection sheet that can be used for these items or the additional Comments section on the back for those items without a proper section on the sheet. A service request will then be made through the Amanda system. Alternatively, a note is to be made in the Comment column of the Encroachments section on the front of the inspection sheets (Concrete and Asphalt), should it fall into this category. See section 6 for some specific examples and refer to the City of Windsor’s Engineering Best Practices – BP3.2.2 (Refer to Appendix C). Furthermore, if the sidewalk has filler between itself and the curb, it is important to be aware for potential trip hazards that may be present (excluding grass and granular fillers). Urgent uplifts and high severity deficiencies will be noted on the inspection sheet (in the urgent uplift section, or applicable section on the asphalt sheet) with a note in the Comment column stating it is in the filler. These will then also be reported to Maintenance for repair. In addition to the filler area, other areas adjacent to the sidewalk are to be inspected for encroachments that could pose a significant hazard to pedestrians. These areas adjacent to the sidewalk are defined as beginning at the outer edges of the sidewalk and ending at the lesser of the limit of the highway (ie. start of private property), back edge of curb if there is a curb, and a 45cm maximum. These encroachments are to be recorded in the Encroachment section of the sheet. Indicate in the Comment column on the front of the inspection sheets (Concrete and Asphalt) if the encroachment is found on the sidewalk surface or adjacent to the sidewalk by checking the appropriate box (SW-Sidewalk Surface, ADJ-Adjacent to sidewalk). In these cases, a service request will be issued in the Amanda System to a Public Works Admin Inspector for follow up.

Fig. 4.9: Some Examples of Obstacles in Sidewalks ( www.ocregister.com , www.pedestrians.org , www.kaysvillecity.com )

5. CAUSES OF SOME DEFICIENCIES

5.1 Trees

Trees planted in the City right of way tend to be situated fairly close to the sidewalk. As the tree’s roots grow beneath the sidewalk, they push up the subsoil causing cracks and uplifts to the slab (see Figure 5.1). This can be