HOUSTON – The City of Houston has finished the Resilient Sidewalks Plan laying out guidelines that could create more safe and reliable walkways for people living in Gulfton and Kashmere Gardens.
Whether you’re taking a stroll or walking to the store, sidewalks are a necessity.
“You see a lot of families walking with their children, strollers, and when you don’t have access to appropriate sidewalks then you see them walking down the street,” said Sandra Rodriguez, President of the Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council.
According to the city, more than 30 miles of Gulfton’s streets have sidewalks missing or in poor condition. It’s a similar story for folks in Kashmere Gardens with sidewalks lining only 30% of streets.
After living in Gulfton for almost four decades, Rodriguez has seen the impact first-hand.
“During Harvey parts of the neighborhood flooded. Throughout the years we have seen pockets of the neighborhood that really suffered when it rained,” stated Rodriguez.
The recently completed Resilient Sidewalks Plan is a step towards changing that. After gathering community feedback, the plan takes a closer look into sidewalks, drainage, and mobility for the two communities.
“What this plan is trying to do is in addition to being a sidewalks plan, it is looking at a strategy to create a more resilient pedestrian network. So even if it is not just sidewalks, looking for opportunities within the community using alleys or even trails systems to make sure there is a connected network for people to get from A to B,” Buaku stated.
Rodriguez’s hope is to see these ideas come to life.
“Our families here provide essential services to the city. They are the service workers. They are the housekeepers. They are the people cooking your food, but when they come home to their neighborhoods, they come to this. Our families deserve more, and they deserve better,” said Rodriguez.
To view the completed plans, click here.