Planning & Development
Sidewalk Fund
What is the Sidewalk Fund and How does it work?
The Sidewalk Fund is a special fund established to collect Fees in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction. The fund will be used to construct new sidewalks. It will not be used to maintain or repair existing sidewalks.
In addition to the Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction, funding from other departments/ agencies, such as Council Members’ Office, TIRZs, Management Districts, METRO, may be allocated or deposited to the sidewalk fund to support the sidewalk construction projects paid for by the fund.
Sidewalk Service Area
The Sidewalk Service Area Map is a map dividing the city geographically into Sidewalk Service Areas. This map prioritizes investment of sidewalk fund moneys within the general area where the Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction was collected. Each area in the Sidewalk Service Area Map is known as “Sidewalk Service Area” and is numbered accordingly for identification purposes. There are 17 Sidewalk Service Areas identified on the Sidewalk Service Area Map (.pdf).
Equitable Sidewalk Fund Allocation
The collected amount of the Sidewalk Fund depends on the development activities in each Sidewalk Service Area. Since the development activities can be affected by different factors, it is impossible to project the annual Sidewalk Fund amounts.
Development throughout the city occurs at different rates. As a result, some areas may collect less revenue into their Sidewalk Service Area. To balance the sidewalk projects throughout the city and to allocate the Sidewalk Fund equitably, a 70/30 split of the Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction is created. This means 70% of the Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction will be spent in the same Sidewalk Service Area where the fee was collected, and 30% of the fee will be spent for city-wide sidewalk projects based on need. The intent of 70/30 split is to achieve a complete sidewalk network in the entire city, not just in certain areas.
Other funding sources
In addition to the Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction, funding from other departments/ agencies, such as Council Members’ Office, TIRZs, Management Districts, METRO, may be allocated or deposited to the sidewalk fund to support the sidewalk construction projects paid for by the fund.
Scope of Sidewalk Projects
The number of sidewalk projects funded by the Sidewalk Fund depends on the available amount of the Sidewalk Fund in each Sidewalk Service Area. The Chief Transportation Planner will coordinate with other City departments and agencies to identify and prioritize sidewalk projects. The available Sidewalk Fund will be allocated to the identified sidewalk projects in the order of the following priorities:
- Pedestrian safety;
- Existing transportation facilities such as bus stops or bike lanes;
- Presence of major facilities generating trips, such as schools, parks, libraries, etc.;
- Demographics and equity; and
- Available funding.
For details about the prioritization factors, please refer to Sidewalk Project Prioritization Factors (.pdf).
Funded Projects
The Chief Transportation Planner will provide an annual report on the utilization of the Sidewalk Fund and related sidewalk projects completed during the previous fiscal year. The annual report will be published on the Planning & Development Department website www.houstonplanning.com.