Sidewalks are on Southlake residents’ minds. In 2017, the citizen satisfaction survey showed 25% of respondents were dissatisfied with the city’s provision of sidewalks and trails. The most recent survey yielded similar results, with 26% of 2019 respondents also expressing disapproval. As residents continue to express concerns over safety, accessibility and foot mobility, the city has unveiled new initiatives to help residents stay up to date on new sidewalk developments in Southlake.
Pathway Perceptions
Southlake’s more than 30,000 citizens currently have more than 180 miles of sidewalks, park trails and pathways at their disposal according to the city’s website, with over 20 miles of new sidewalks planned through ongoing projects. While the city has constructed more than 21 miles of sidewalks since 2009, 67% of survey respondents still rate providing pedestrian walkways as a high priority, second only to maintaining parks and facilities.
“It is important to realize that the desire for sidewalks in Southlake has changed over several decades,” Transportation Manager Stephanie Taylor says. “In the early 2000s, residents wanted to retain a more rural feel in neighborhoods. Now, many residents are asking for better pedestrian connectivity.”
Connecting The City
Stephanie says the city plans connections using the Pathways Program, a strategic initiative that prioritizes sidewalk construction based on the available right-of-way and adjacent land use. She says sidewalk projects are built either through the city’s capital improvement program or privately, and construction can take anywhere between six to 12 months.
“It’s rare that one is not being constructed at any given time,” Stephanie expresses.
Stephanie says the traffic management division also takes comments and feedback from the community either by phone or email, and they take the feedback they receive seriously. She adds that the traffic management division itself was a result of the citizen satisfaction survey.
“It will take a collaborative effort from the city, homeowners and business owners to connect our city,” she remarks.
Mapping The Future
One new feature born from the recent citizen satisfaction survey results is the interactive sidewalk map, which can be accessed on the traffic management division’s webpage. Layers on the map can be selected to show pre-existing sidewalks as well as future segments not already built. Residents can also enter their address and see which sidewalks are already nearby, as well as planned improvements that are under development.
But that’s not all the city is doing. Stephanie says the city is also reviewing the Pathways Program and standardizing its criteria so projects can be ranked in order of importance.
“Sidewalks represent so much more than bits of concrete,” Stephanie expresses. “They are vital to a city and its quality of life.”