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AccessibilityTrees & Sidewalks Program
Parks’ sidewalk repair program can help repair severe sidewalk damage caused by root growth adjacent to one-, two, and three-family (NYC Tax Class 1) homes not used for commercial purposes and occupied by the owner only. Funding for this program is limited, and repairs are made based on a rating system that includes the severity of damage, amount of pedestrian traffic, and size and condition of the tree.
Repair a Sidewalk Yourself
As an alternative to the Trees & Sidewalks Program, you may repair the sidewalk on your own by engaging an independent contractor and completing a Tree Work Permit application on the NYC Parks website. After you apply, you can request a Parks inspector to provide site-specific repair solutions for working around the City tree. Your contractor must also obtain a sidewalk permit from the NYC Department of Transportation. After the repair, you may file a claim with the Comptroller’s office within 90 days of repair for the damage you believe was caused by a City Tree. Review the Parks approved steps to repairing the sidewalk yourself.
How to Apply for the Trees & Sidewalks Program
Submit a Service Request for a Trees & Sidewalks Inspection
Visit the NYC Street Tree Map, our tree service request system, or call 311 to request an inspection of your site by the Trees & Sidewalks program.
Before you make a forestry service request, please make sure that you have not previously submitted the same request. The Trees & Sidewalks program only inspects a damaged sidewalk site once every three years.
Check the Status of Your Service Request
Once we receive a Trees & Sidewalk request, an inspector will verify eligibility assess the site. You can view the results by checking the status of your site on the Tree Work Hub or looking up your Service Request by visiting 311 Online or by calling 311.
Understanding your Inspection Rating
Inspectors evaluate the damage to the sidewalk at each site to provide a rating from 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest priority based on the following criteria:
* Click on images to view larger
Damage & Vertical Lift
The difference in height between two pieces of concrete lifted or cracked by tree roots. Vertical lift elevates the level of sidewalk joints. Sidewalks that are cracked but not raised will rate lower than those that are lifted and present a greater tripping hazard. For example, lifts less than 1/2 inch will rate lower than lifts of more than two inches.
Clearance
A measurement of the width of a passable, defect-free sidewalk around the tree. For example, if a crack or vertical lift extends across the entire sidewalk, the clearance would be 0’. Sidewalks with wide areas free of defects will rate lower than those with only narrow defect-free paths or those without a defect-free passable path.
Tree condition
The general condition of the tree, considered on a Good, Fair, Poor, or Dead scale. As a Tree Preservation principle, trees in better condition will result in higher ratings.
Location
An assessment of the relative amount of pedestrian traffic. Sites with higher pedestrian traffic result in higher ratings.
Number of Damaged Flags
Sidewalk flags are squares or rectangular sections of concrete or other material, usually 4’ by 4’ or 5’ by 5’. An inspector will measure the number of flags damaged by the City tree, with a higher number resulting in a higher overall rating score.
Total Trees
The number of City trees or stumps impacting the sidewalk. Sites with more trees will result in higher ratings.
Repair Timeframe
Repairs are made according to the sidewalk rating. We repair the sidewalks with the highest ratings first.
Trees & Sidewalks Rating Chart
| Sidewalk Rating | <80 | 80-90 | 90-100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Likelihood of Repair under the Trees & Sidewalk Program | Site does not rate highly enough to be repaired by NYC Parks at this time. |
Site has been waitlisted: This site meets the criteria for repair. However due to a high number of requests we are only able to repair the very highest rated sites at this time. We will continue to evaluate based on capacity and funding if your site can be added to our next contract. |
Site expected to be repaired within three years. |
| Recommended Action |
Engage an Independent contractor. Complete a Tree Work Permit Application. File claim for damages with NYC Comptroller. OR Request new Trees & Sidewalks inspection three years after initial inspection. This could result in a higher rating. |
Check Tree Work Hub for status. OR Engage an independent contractor. Complete a Tree Work Permit Application. File claim for damages with NYC Comptroller. OR Request new Trees & Sidewalks inspection three years after initial inspection. This could result in a higher rating. |
Check Tree Work Hub for approx. date of repair. OR Engage an independent contractor. Complete a Tree Work Permit Application. File claim for damages with NYC Comptroller. |
Repair Methods
Depending on the specific site conditions, there are a variety of design strategies and construction techniques available to repair sidewalks around trees. Each solution should seek to make an ideal pedestrian experience while providing as much growing space for tree roots as possible, avoiding tree damage, and providing a durable, long-lasting sidewalk that is less likely to crack or heave in the future.
Repair strategies may include a combination of the following:
Tree Bed Expansion
As trees grow, they may require more space in the sidewalk. This technique involves the removal or cutting of damaged sidewalk flags from the area directly surrounding the tree and expansion of the tree bed. Expanding the soil surface around the tree is the most common repair method for preventing future sidewalk damage. This practice also increases the permeable surface around the tree to help absorb stormwater.
Although expansion will create a larger tree bed, sidewalk clearance must always meet accessibility standards.
Ramping
This solution involves gradually sloping the new sidewalk over the root system, adding additional base material where necessary to allow space for root growth and avoid root cutting while assuring a smooth, even sidewalk surface.
Strengthening
When installing pavement over tree roots or where tree roots are expected to grow, reinforcing concrete with rebar or wire mesh can reduce uneven lifting and cracking in the future.
Curving
Typically employed when the tree exists in a lawn pit, this method involves removing damaged concrete and creating a new sidewalk in an arc around the tree.
Notices of Violation
The Department of Transportation is no longer issuing Notice of Violations (NOV) or liens to the owners of properties that are owner occupied 1, 2, or 3 family homes not being used for commercial purposes where sidewalk damage is caused only by City trees. As a result, you will be able to refinance or sell your home without the additional cost associated with sidewalk repair or the burden of addressing a lien on your property.
If you have already received a Notice of Violation (NOV) from the Department of Transportation (DOT), you should contact DOT at nyc.gov/dot. DOT will be reviewing all active violations. If you are refinancing or selling your home and need to remove a lien due to City tree damage, you may submit a request to DOT through the online 311 portal or by mail.
What We Repair
Sites are prioritized for repair based on the severity of damage and availability of funding. We will send an inspector to evaluate the site and assign a sidewalk rating.
Not all inspections result in the repair of a sidewalk. The lower your sidewalk rating is on a scale of 1 to 100, with 1 being lowest and 100 being highest, the less likely we will be able to repair the sidewalk through this program. After three years from the last inspection, you may request a new inspection to evaluate if the damage has worsened, or you may choose to repair the sidewalk on your own at any time by hiring an independent contractor and requesting a permit.
Glossary of Terms
Initial Request Date
Date of initial service request for Trees & Sidewalk inspection by the homeowner.
Inspection Date
Date of completed inspection within the previous six months.
Sidewalk Rating
A severity ranking determined by a Forestry Inspector that qualifies and quantifies the damage to the sidewalk according to a number of criteria. These criteria include vertical lift, number of damaged flagstones, the volume of pedestrian usage, passable sidewalk width, and the condition of the tree. Ratings are evaluated on a scale from 1 to 100, 100 being the most severe.
Number of Reports
Number of public notifications (Service Requests and complaints) to NYC Parks regarding the inspection/repair site.
Repair Date
Date of completed repair made within previous six months, or the estimated date by which point the repair will be completed. Repairs are made frequently across the city, so sidewalks may often be repaired before the listed estimated date. If the repair date is in the distant future or not applicable (N/A), you may prefer to repair the sidewalk yourself.
Statuses
A Parks Forester inspects each site. There are several potential inspection results.
- Repair Completed
- The sidewalk has been repaired.
- Inspected - Repair Assigned
- The site has been inspected. Sidewalk repair has been approved but not yet completed.
- Inspected - Site Waitlisted
- The site has been inspected and found eligible for repair through the Trees & Sidewalks program. Due to our level of funding and that most severely damaged sites will be addressed first, sidewalk repair has not yet been approved. After three years, you may request a new inspection. You may also repair the sidewalk yourself.
- Inspected - No Repair
- After inspection, the site has been determined not eligible for repair through the Trees & Sidewalks program. You may still repair the sidewalk yourself.
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