At-Large Position 5

Sidewalk Summit

On September 21, 2021, Council Member David W. Robinson and I convened a virtual sidewalk summit with expert panelists and over 300 Houstonian participants. The Sidewalk Summit served as an opportunity to: educate Houstonians on the city’s sidewalk rules, policies, and investments; amplify the role of the pedestrian and assert that safe and well-maintained sidewalks are a critical component of Houston’s transportation network; and explore ways we can do better. Through this coalition-building and educational community engagement event, the City of Houston and many of our partner organizations highlighted the important role sidewalks play in improving walkability. In my time at City Hall, I have noticed we spend a lot of time focused on bike lanes, trails, roads, transit, but we don’t spend as much time focused on sidewalks as a connecting network. I think many of the attendees felt the same way and were delighted to see the focus shifted. Mayor Sylvester Turner said it best in his opening remarks, “Everyone is a pedestrian in some form on their trip.”

I am committed to pushing for greater public investment in sidewalk infrastructure. Leaving improvements and maintenance up to adjacent property owners is insufficient.

Sidewalk Summit Video Recording - September 21, 2021