Albany infrastructure snapshot: Sidewalks, paving, streetlights
Albany has repaired thousands of square feet of sidewalk this year.
Albany has repaired about 4,500 square feet of sidewalk and upgraded 68 streetlights this year, according to a recent city infrastructure update.
Albany maintains about 30 miles of roads, 50 miles of sidewalks and 900 street and pedestrian lights, along with 47 miles of sewer mains and laterals and 12 miles of storm drains and culverts, the city said last week.
Infrastructure highlights from 2026
About 4,500 square feet of sidewalk at 51 locations have been repaired or replaced this year, the city announced.
When it undertakes repairs, Albany prioritizes unsafe sidewalks and accessibility problems identified in its 2025 citywide survey.
As part of its work, the city shaves down uneven sidewalk edges up to 2 inches high to prevent trips.
Measure C, approved in 2024, funds repairs, surveys and sidewalk shaving, with tax collection authorized through June 2035.
Albany has also completed 68 streetlight upgrades, with 91 more underway.
Those updates follow a comprehensive street lighting evaluation in 2024, which assessed Albany’s 900 streetlights and recommended improvements.
The evaluation prioritized replacing failing lights and improving lighting at critical intersections and near schools. It also recommended better lighting along bike and walking routes and shielding to reduce light spilling into homes.
Construction is also progressing on the Brighton Avenue Sewer Project, which the city expects to complete in midwinter.
That project includes replacing undersized sewer mains, rehabilitating sewer laterals and manholes and installing cleanouts (capped pipes that provide maintenance access) to "improve system reliability and protect water quality."
Albany expects to complete Phase 2 of the Marin Avenue Pavement Project this fall.
Planned improvements include pavement and sidewalk repairs, storm drain upgrades, pedestrian crossings, traffic signals, lighting and bicycle safety measures.
Going forward, Albany is working with El Cerrito to improve bike path connections along Adams Street and Carlson Boulevard.
That effort, supported by a $319,000 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, aims to create a safer, more accessible bicycle route between the two cities.
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