Infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of fundamental facilities and systems that support the sustainable functionality of households and businesses. Examples of infrastructure include transportation systems, communication networks, sewage, water, and electric systems. These systems tend to be capital intensive and high-cost investments, and are vital to a city's economic development and prosperity. A detailed accounting of infrastructure needs and a comprehensive narrative are available in the City’s 2023-2028 Capital Facilities Plan. The City currently has four main initiatives that relate to infrastructure highlighted as follows and more to come in the coming year:
Investing in Our Trails, Parks and Streets
Our community deeply values its open space, trails, parks and streets. As a community, we are unusually rich in natural assets and beauty, but like many communities, we struggle to keep up with ongoing and deferred maintenance and the community’s desire for improved access and amenities. Each year through the budget process we have a chance as a community to determine how to best use our limited funding.
Climate change presents a significant challenge for communities and urban systems worldwide. Climate change impacts such as increased rainfall intensity, storm surges, flooding, and urban heat island effects are affecting communities worldwide. The effects of a disrupted climate will likely intensify over the coming decades.
How do we adapt to a changing climate? How can we curb our emissions?
Comprehensive Streets Program What do you want for your streets? How do we best preserve, improve, operate and program our streets sustainably into the distant future?
Why develop a Comprehensive Streets Program?
The 80+ mile City street system is largely in a state of disrepair. Competing priorities and needs for our public rights-of-way are defined by the City’s complete streets policy, Non-motorized plan and Transportation Functional Plan. City budgets for the street system are relatively small and yet the public enjoys an extensive network of streets connected by trails throughout the City.
What type of pedestrian and bicycle road facilities will provide the greatest benefit to the most people and increase our community’s use of healthy, active transportation?
An aging sewer system poses the question: how do we prioritize investments in the next 20 years?
