Kansas City is working to create a safe and connected sidewalk network throughout the city. To achieve this goal, the City studied current conditions of the network, including gaps in sidewalks, as well as the different ways sidewalk improvements can contribute to mobility goals.

The existing sidewalk network is over 4,000 miles in length with a growing need for repair and maintenance due to the decades of deferred maintenance. In response, the City Council passed the General Obligation Infrastructure Bond in 2017, dedicating funding toward sidewalk repair and maintenance.

The City’s first task was to address the 3-1-1 backlog of resident requests related to existing sidewalk conditions between 2008-2016, which has been completed two (2) years ahead of schedule. The City has begun a systematic sidewalk construction and repair process that addresses other remaining needs on the sidewalk system. The Sidewalk Prioritization Plan provides a list of immediate project priorities and creates a process for identifying the next phases of improvements to be implemented.

Access and Connectivity: An evaluation of pedestrians’ ability to navigate the community efficiently and comfortably, using data on sidewalk availability, Pedestrian Levels of Traffic Stress (PLTS), and destination distance and route directness indices.

Sidewalk Condition: An assessment of the overall condition of the existing sidewalks.

Equity: An assessment of demographics to identify concentrations of historically excluded communities.

Public Support: A summary of the community’s top needs, concerns, and aspirations as expressed during the public involvement period.

Pedestrian Demand: A model predicting pedestrian demand based on 2019 and 2022 pedestrian counts.

Safety: An assessment of current and future crash risks.