Sidewalk Master Plan adopted by City Council

At its regular meeting Feb. 13, City Council adopted the Sidewalk Master Plan, which creates a blueprint for the future pedestrian network and prioritizes maintenance of existing pedestrian facilities. The plan is an update of the 2014 Sidewalk Master Plan.

More than 60 percent of the Priority 1 projects identified in the 2014 plan have been completed and the remaining 40 percent are under construction or in design. The projects were funded by the 2015 City transportation bonds and 2021 City mobility bonds. Additionally, all neighborhoods built since the previous plan are required to have sidewalks on both sides of the street and contributing along frontage for major streets.

A 2023 update of the sidewalk inventory in the plan reviewed 905 miles of sidewalk, including missing sidewalk gaps, and 1,122 curb ramps. Of the existing sidewalks and ramps, 92 percent are in good condition, 5 percent are in substandard condition, and 3 percent are failing or nonfunctional sidewalks that cannot be used by individuals who use wheelchairs.

The plan update included a public engagement process that involved input from City departments, stakeholder groups such as Georgetown ISD, City Council workshops, and an initial online survey in fall 2022 in which 167 comments related to sidewalks were submitted. An online FlashVote survey in March 2023 with 424 local participants included feedback about sidewalk priorities. A Red Poppy Festival booth in April 2023 solicited feedback from 83 residents and another online survey in April-May 2023 received feedback from 376 participants. This input was used in the development of recommendations for priority sidewalks.

Future sidewalk projects were prioritized in the plan using factors including stakeholder and public input, connections to existing facilities such as schools or retail, residential demographics, pedestrian safety, project readiness, and existing sidewalk conditions.

The implementation section in the plan recommends $31.6 million for priority sidewalk and pedestrian sidewalks, including $22.8 million for projects to fill in gaps in the sidewalk network and $7 million for projects to provide walking routes to public schools. Funding for future projects could include revenue from the 2021 Georgetown Mobility Bond as well as revenue from special districts such as tax increment reinvestment zones. Sidewalk and pedestrian projects are included in the annual City budget process and approved by City Council.

To read the Sidewalk Master Plan, including details on proposed projects and costs, go to 2030.georgetown.org/sidewalk-master-plan-2023.