CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland launched a pilot program that uses porous flexible pavement for some of the sidewalks in parts of Cleveland, a pavement made from recycled tires and other materials.

It’s also more flexible than concrete, which the city said they hope will help with root intrusion and safety for pedestrians. 

What You Need To Know

  • Cleveland using pilot program for some sidewalks 

  • The sidewalks use porous flexible pavement which is made up of recycled tires and other materials 

  • The city is going to see how they hold up in Northeast Ohio weather before implementing more of them in the city

Keshia Chambers, the assistant director of the mayor’s office of capital projects, is the head of the program.

“So as trees grow the roots sometimes, often times, interact with concrete, and that causes cracking, causes some disruptions in the concrete, so we’re looking for solutions,” she said.

It is just a pilot program right now, and there are about 10 locations in Cleveland that have utilized the material for a part of the sidewalk. 

Chambers said cities like Washington D.C. have seen success with using the material, but she said it is more expensive than regular concrete. The City of Cleveland said that porous flexible pavement is $48 per square foot, which is about 30% more than regular concrete. The PFP also has about a third the lifespan of concrete.

Chambers said there are benefits.

“It doesn’t allow for ponding, so when it rains, water can’t pond, and water just permeates right through the sidewalk,” she said. 

Chambers said it is also more environmentally friendly.

“I think long term we’re just trying to make sure that our infrastructure and our environment can live together,” she said. 

The City of Cleveland said they are going to see how the material holds up in the weather in northeast Ohio before deciding whether or not to install more sidewalks using this material.