Tag: sidewalks

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DMC Program Could Help Downtown Sidewalks

Credit: Downtown Memphis Commission

Downtown sidewalks are in need of repair, and a new grant program hopes to help get them fixed. 

The Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) wants to set aside $50,000 to help Downtown business owners fix sidewalks in front of their properties. The business owners would split the cost of sidewalk repairs with the DMC through grants up to $5,000. 

For now, the program is only available for businesses located in the Central Business Improvement District (CBID). There, the DMC staff has identified 60 parcels that could be eligible for the grant program. 

The main aim of the program is to improve walkability, said Brett Roler, the DMC’s vice president of planning and development. It’s also about unlocking the potential of parking lots and parking garages, and creating a better retail environment Downtown. 

“Our retail strategy says that the way buildings look matters, the way the public realm looks matters,” Roler said. “It not only communicates to people that this is a place that folks care about, but it also makes it easier [to walk] and you likely feel safer walking within the retail nodes like South Main or the Edge District or the Main Street mall. 

“It also makes sure that between those same nodes, you’re much more likely to stop at more places, shop at more stores, and it’s all just a more enjoyable, pleasant experience.”

Sidewalk repair is a thorny issue in Memphis, and it has a past. It’s up to property owners to fix them, not the city, and there’s a whole lot of broken sidewalks out there. 

The city has 3,429 miles of sidewalk, enough to stretch from Texas to Hawaii. A 2015 survey of peer cities found Memphis has more sidewalks and spent less on them. Atlanta, for example, had about 2,200 miles of sidewalk and budgeted $4.3 million for them. 

(Credit: Memphis Flyer) As of 2015

Since 2004, Memphis has cumulatively budgeted only $334,000 on its sidewalks. To fix them all, it would cost about $1.1 billion, city figures say, to the tune of about $19 million per year for the next 24 years. 

However, sidewalks here are in bad shape. The latest figures from the city say 80 percent to 95 percent of the city’s immense sidewalk network is in need of repair. Immediate repair is needed on around 33 percent of sidewalks here. 

Memphis City Council members cracked down on sidewalk repairs in 2014, threatening fines to homeowners who did not fix walks. The council relaxed after a number of those fined were on fixed incomes or could not pay and established a financial assistance program for some sidewalk repairs. Current council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas floated a proposal last year that would stop the sale of properties with noncompliant sidewalks. 

For Downtown’s pilot repair program, Roler said his team will focus on the quality of the sidewalks (which ones are in need of repair) but also where they are. They’ll look for sidewalks along main pedestrian connections on “signature streets,” from South Main to Beale Street, for example, or Madison and Main. 

Roler dislikes having to tell business owners they are responsible for their own sidewalks. The DMC, he said, has been hesitant to put money in sidewalk repairs because “you can argue sidewalk repairs are the responsibility of the property owner.” 

“But, at the end of the day, if Downtown is not seen as a safe, comfortable place to walk, our retail businesses aren’t going to be successful,” Roler said. “People aren’t going to want to live here. Businesses are not going to move here.” 

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Midtown Projects: New Overton Park Sidewalks; New Evergreen Mural

CREDIT: Amanda Gillvery

Amanda Gillvery

A rendering shows the west end of the sidewalk.

If you’re driving around Midtown, be on the lookout for these two projects to get underway soon.

Overton Park Sidewalk

Construction was set to being Monday on a new sidewalk for Overton Park. It’ll run on the north side of Poplar from Kenilworth to Veterans Plaza, according to the Bike/Ped Memphis blog.

Google Maps

The black line shows where the new sidewalk will go.

The overall project will also include ”a curb extension at the northeast corner of Kenilworth and Poplar, reconstruction of the median island on the north side of the same intersection, and crosswalk enhancements.”

“The goal of the project is to improve safe pedestrian access to Overton Park and the existing bus stops on this segment of Poplar, which are currently inaccessible by people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices,” reads the post by Nicholas Oyler, Bikeway & Pedestrian program manager for the city of Memphis.
Amanda Gillvery

The lack of an accessible path poses a hazard to people with limited mobility or child strollers, according to Oyler.

A later phase of the project will extend the new sidewalk east of Veterans Plaza to a future entrance plaza at Cooper, according to Oyler. The extension and plaza are currently under design, and should begin construction in the next two years.

As the sidewalk is built, the westbound, outside lane of Poplar will be closed from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. on weekdays. Construction is expected to last about 45 days.

Amanda Gillvery

A rendering shows the east end of the new sidewalk.


Evergreen Mural
Memphis College of Arts

A rendering shows what the mural might look like on the building.

A new mural may soon grace the west-facing wall of Evergreen Presbyterian Church, one that its designers say highlights “the pedestrian-friendly culture of the Evergreen Historic District.”

That mural is now up for approval by the Memphis Landmarks Commission. A final vote on the mural is set for the commission’s meeting on Thursday, May 23rd.

The mural was conceived by the Memphis College of Arts (MCA) office of Community Outreach and Student Affairs. Student artists Chongjin Won and Anna Bearman. Their design was informed by comments from Evergreen neighbors gathered at three listening sessions in January and February.

Here’s what the artists said about the design in their application to the Landmarks Commission:

“Our goal for the mural is to highlight the pedestrian friendly culture of the Evergreen Historic District. Evergreen is defined by its cohesive architecture, rich history, and sense of community. We find these features to be the defining characteristics of the neighborhood.”

“On any given evening, too will find the residents running, biking, walking or strolling through the neighborhood. As the evening winds down, you will find neighbors on their front porches chatting with one another with the gentle sound of the rustling leaves and cars passing in the distance.
Memphis College of Arts

An artist’s rendering of the mural.

”The design incorporated all of these elements into a mural that truly represents Evergreen Historic District. Set at the golden hour of dusk, our mural depicts the neighborhood teeming with activity: children playing, dogs being walked, parents strolling with their infants, and neighbors biking.”

Read the full application here: [pdf-1]

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News The Fly-By

Transportation Forum Finds Citizens Want More Pedestrian-Friendly City

Crumbling sidewalks, underfunded public transit, and disconnected bike lanes were at the top of the list for Memphians who attended a public forum at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library last week to discuss the transportation needs of the city.

“We need to keep the role of the government in mind,” said Dennis Lynch, the transportation chair for the Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club, which hosted the discussion. “If the things we’re doing aren’t for the people, they aren’t the right things. We need to push for the things we think we need.”

Attendees brainstormed various ideas to alleviate what many believe is a situation in dire need of a solution. Among the proposals: buses that run on time and to more locations on a frequent schedule; sidewalks and streets that are safe for all citizens; more availability to rent tandem bicycles; for Congressman Steve Cohen to support the local allocation of federal funds and allow more local power over how those funds are spent; and to install more parking meters to encourage people to use public transit as a way to save money.

Lynch said the input would be taken to Mayor Jim Strickland, the Memphis City Council, the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Broken, uneven sidewalks and missing curb ramps leave those like Steve Collins, who is disabled and relies on his wheelchair and public transportation, at a disadvantage.

Collins’ route is contained to Poplar, where he’s pinpointed at least 19 “problem spots.” At Poplar and White Station, Collins said there are four corners and only two curb cuts, which forces him to travel into the street.

The issue of damaged sidewalks is not so black and white. In Memphis, property owners are responsible for sidewalk repair. A 1967 city law states that owners of properties abutting any public street are “required to provide and maintain adjacent to his or her property a sidewalk.” The city has made efforts to assist low-income residents, but the problem is still open-ended for Memphians like Collins.

“We have met with the city about this, and they tell us that it is the state’s problem because [Poplar] is a state highway,” Collins said. “The state says it is a city problem because it is Poplar Avenue. My question is this: If I die at that intersection, where does my widow send the bill for the funeral?”

Kyle Wagenschutz, bicycle and pedestrian program manager for the city of Memphis, said obstacles within funding resources, or the lack thereof, can leave “some things waiting in the wings.” Bike lanes, for instance, are routinely added as streets are repaved. However, the city will soon begin construction on a grant-funded project to update more roads with bike lanes.

“These are all roads that are not being repaved but that new bike lanes are going to be installed without repaving,” Wagenschutz said. “All of those were chosen based on the idea of connecting the missing pieces and missing segments of the network.”

Developing dedicated sources to fund MATA is key, said Suzanne Carlson, Innovate Memphis’ transportation and mobility project manager.

“There’s a lack of funding to go around,” Carlson said. “Right now, [MATA] goes to city council and [receives] federal funds. Some are guaranteed, and some are competitive that they might not get every year.”

Though they have continually received budget cuts over the last few years, MATA President Ron Garrison said they are “in the process of rebuilding MATA.” After the 2010 census numbers were released, MATA lost upwards of $1.6 million dollars in federal funding as well as some state funding. But this fiscal year, they have a “tiny bit of money” left over, Garrison said. Additionally, Garrison said MATA is implementing new ideas such as partnering with Uber and TransLoc.

“Over the next two years, you’re going to see tremendous improvements,” Garrison said. “Over the next five years, we can make MATA a great transit system again. We’re fixing on-time performance, changing the culture, and correctly funding our facilities, buses, and transit stops so that our customers have a very positive experience.”

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News The Fly-By

Plan Outlines Need For Sidewalk Improvements

Walking in Memphis can be a treacherous — even dangerous — endeavor, and that’s just not because of the heat or the crime. It’s also because of the sidewalks.

Almost all of Memphis’ 3,429 miles of sidewalks need repair, with a third of them requiring immediate repair. That’s according to a report issued last week that lays out the biggest challenges for the city’s sidewalk system.

The Memphis Pedestrian and School Safety Plan proposes spending $200 million over 20 years to fix city sidewalks and crosswalks. The plan prioritizes projects close to schools or in high-use areas; walkways that provide access to transit hubs, businesses, and attractions; and areas that have high rates of pedestrian crashes. 

“At the end of the day, we’re all pedestrians,” said Memphis Mayor A C Wharton. “The moment we get out of our cars to go in a store, take a walk to the park with our families, or step out of the office to grab lunch at the restaurant next door, we each expose ourselves to an environment that should be welcoming and safe.”

But many Memphis sidewalks are neither. “Crumbling or uprooted sidewalk panels” create tripping hazards and limit accessibility for people with disabilities, the study says. Utility poles and street signs block walkways and force pedestrians to walk in the roads. Too few crosswalks cause pedestrians to cross streets mid-block. 

Between 2007 and 2011, 1,725 car crashes involved pedestrians. Of those, 75 were fatalities, the study says. The pedestrian crashes occurred mainly in downtown and Midtown and frequently involved youth aged 10 to 19.      

Replacing all the city’s sidewalks would cost $1.1 billion, the study says. Just making all those “immediate repairs” would cost $363 million. To properly maintain existing city sidewalks would cost $19 million every year indefinitely. But since 2004, the city has spent an average of $33,400 ever year on sidewalk maintenance. 

“With a maintenance burden so vast, it has always been difficult to evaluate where the greatest needs for sidewalk repair or sidewalk improvements were at any given time,” said city engineer John Cameron.  

To pay for the program, the study suggests partnering with organizations like the Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis Light Gas & Water, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to leverage grant funds.

The first phase of the proposed projects span the city in every Memphis City Council district and range in scope in size. One project would fix a Frayser sidewalk that stretches one-tenth of mile at cost of about $48,000. Another would build a new sidewalk in Whitehaven at a cost of about $1.3 million.