At the most recent budget workshop, the City Commission voted to move forward with funds for sidewalk projects. The funds for FY2020 include $1 million in maintenance and $1.6 million in a “New Sidewalk Program.”
To ensure that resources are allocated effectively and efficiently, a sidewalk prioritization method was created and approved by the Commission in 2015. The method breaks sidewalk needs into two tiers, projects with no existing sidewalks are Tier 1 and projects with existing sidewalks on one side of the street are Tier 2.
Within these tiers, projects are ranked based on a point system per specific criterion, such as safety, safe routes to school, new access on arterials and collectors, Latent Demand (demand estimated based on density of development), Connectivity and Existing Demand at pedestrian attractors.
Sidewalks, and their estimated costs, are ranked in a comprehensive list. The updated list as of January 2019 included 206 projects in Tier 1 at an estimated cost of $70.4 million, and 82 projects in Tier 2 at an estimated cost of $41.2 million, for a total of $111.6 million.
While the City has developed the Sidewalk Prioritization list to aid in planning for sidewalks, another key element in moving forward with sidewalk construction is determining the feasibility of the project.
Under the leadership of the Commission, the City has committed to initiating ten new sidewalks a year starting in FY20. The ten sidewalks identified for FY20 were selected based on both priority and readiness for construction, as well as funding availability, including funding from existing Pedestrian and Street Safety (PASS) funds and grant funding for Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS).
Additional sidewalks, three (preliminary projection) located in the Bond Neighborhood and three (preliminary projection) in the Greater Frenchtown/Springfield (GFS) community, will be identified through engagement with each community and planned funding to begin development.
The following list identifies the sidewalks funded in FY20, as well as an additional six for Bond and GFS communities.
Weems Road Extension with Pedestrian & Street Safety (PASS), Texas Street, Gadsden Street South – Phase I (design), Mitchell Avenue, Alachua Avenue, Branch Street, Iamonia Street, Rankin Avenue, Blountstown Street (design) and Tram Road.
City Funds FY2020 Sidewalk Projects added by Staff on
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Calloway St, need sidewalk bad kids be walking in the street and cars have to stop to let them go they walk in front of cars going to fast also need speed hump to slow cars down they use Calloway St as a racetrack and a escape route from the police speedway
Weems Rd extension, what a joke. Millions to help relieve the Mahan/ CapCir intersection. Wake up city planners. no one will use to bypass the intersection. Why dont you ask the CRTPA people and run the model?
It’s funny how you make Businesses install Sidewalks when they build their Buildings and even if they are just adding to their Existing Business. There is a Church out the Parkway by the Landfill that recently built a Building behind it and they had to install a Sidewalk even though there is nothing near it. There is a big Cow Pasture on one side and the Park on the other side and Woods across the Street. The church was made to waste a huge amount of Money for NOTHING. The sad part is, there are MANY short Sidewalks around Leon County that are worthless and a huge waste of Money.
This money should be used to pave DIRT roads that are still in existence. There are a few in the city. There are tons of dirt roads in the county, most of which are loaded with automobile-suspension destroying potholes. Especially after a rainstorm.
When taxpayers can’t drive down a road between their house and the grocery store without losing a hubcap or breaking a wheel bearing, a new sidewalk doesn’t help.
Some interesting criteria for selecting sites for sidewalks. Seems they should start with roads that pedestrians have worn a path on the side of the road as the biggest need. Since Centerville Rd got sidewalks a few years ago, I have seen a total of three pedestrians walking on the sidewalk.
I think the logic for Centerville road was access to the hospital, and not really pedestrian traffic.