Chapter 1.7
Urban Forestry and Vegetation

• ALL
• Remove Code Barriers
• Create Incentives
• Fill Regulatory Gaps

Minimum Width and Buffer Requirements for Sidewalks

INTRODUCTION

“A sidewalk’s primary purpose is to provide pedestrians with connections to neighborhoods, shopping centers, businesses and other venues of interest.”[1] Sidewalks provide pedestrians with space to travel within the public-right-of way, separate from vehicles on the road.[2] This ability to connect with the community through sidewalks also significantly reduces the amount of pedestrian conflicts with motor vehicles.[3] Although the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act requires “walking surfaces” be a minimum of three feet, this width is typically insufficient to make sidewalks pedestrian friendly, inclusive, and easily accessible to people with disabilities and wheelchairs.[4] The Federal Highway Administration and the Institute of Transportation Engineers recommend a minimum sidewalk width of five feet, which allows two people to pass each other comfortably or walk side by side.[5] Even wider sidewalks are preferable in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as downtown areas and near transit stops.[6]

In addition to minimum sidewalk provisions, local governments should consider vegetation buffer zones separating pedestrians from vehicles. A buffer zone separating the sidewalk from vehicular traffic helps promote pedestrian mobility by increasing comfort and safety by expanding the distance between pedestrians and moving vehicles. The size of a buffer zone can and should vary according to the sidewalk location.[7] For instance, in downtown or commercial districts street furniture, low vegetation, trees, or a bike lane may be an appropriate buffer, while in more suburban areas, a landscape strip or increased vegetation may be preferable.[8]

When drafting an ordinance to address sidewalk width and buffer zones, local governments should consider the following factors: street type, adjacent land use, adjacent building height, and roadway characteristics.[9] Areas with higher pedestrian traffic, such as large shopping centers, schools, or tourist attractions, may require wider minimum requirements, such as fifteen feet, which may help encourage pedestrian mobility.[10] In more rural or suburban areas, narrower sidewalk requirements may suffice, such as six feet.[11]

EFFECTS

Safe and usable sidewalks provide many benefits, all of which are enhanced by increasing their width, vegetation, and general accessibility. Sidewalks promote opportunities for citizens to actively connect with their communities, create safer pedestrian environments, and produce healthier neighborhoods.[12] Pedestrians killed while “walking along the roadway” account for almost eight percent of all pedestrian related deaths involving motor vehicles.[13] Sidewalks complying with the bare minimum width requirements (three feet) may allow one pedestrian to traverse using the sidewalk, but others will be forced to step off and into the roadway, especially if there is no buffer zone.

Increasing sidewalk widths may not only provide a safe and more comfortable environment for pedestrians to travel, they may also increase the amount of pedestrians walking.[14] Once citizens perceive walking as a safe option, they will be more inclined to do so.[15] Adequate lighting surrounding sidewalks can also increase pedestrian mobility by strengthening a pedestrians perception of safety (for a brief on adequate sidewalk lighting, see Adequate Lighting For Sidewalk, Building, and Crosswalk Visibility).

Increased pedestrian traffic on sidewalks decreases reliance on automobiles while ensuring individuals safely arrive at their destinations.[16] Having more pedestrians and less vehicles on the road reduces congestion and the emission of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.[17] In addition, the installation of a vegetative buffer not only purifies the air, traps greenhouse gasses, and promotes biodiversity but also contributes to sustainable stormwater management and reduction of stormwater costs.[18] (LINK for more recommendations concerning stormwater management see SDC Subhapter 1.2 Low-Impact Development and Stormwater Management).

Additionally, the presence of wide, easily traversed sidewalks can increase access public transportation.[19] Increasing the width and accessibility of sidewalks opens up alternative transportation options for citizens and further decreases congestion of public road ways.[20] Increased walking also comes with health benefits that other modes of transportation do not. Walking can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, while also working to help manage weight loss and blood pressure.[21] Walking for thirty to forty-five minutes nearly every day at a fairly brisk pace can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 31%.[22]

Local economies benefit by promoting increased mobility through wider sidewalks. Increased foot traffic can boost sales at local business and citizens can save on transportation and parking costs.[23] Widening sidewalks around shopping areas allows for more window shopping to view store advertisements, which can lead to an increase in potential customers.[24] Furthermore, the presence of sidewalks has been linked to increases in property values. A one-point increase in a community’s Walk Score, a logarithmic ranking system which measures the walkability of any property with a value between 0 and 100, has been shown to lead to increases in property values ranging from $700–$3,000.[25]

EXAMPLES

San Antonio, TX

San Antonio adopted a Downtown Design Guide (“Guide”) in order to help direct development in its downtown core. Developments in the Downtown District are governed by the Guide.[26] The Guide is designed to, among other things, ensure that sidewalks are walkable and can accommodate a variety of uses.[27] The Guide prescribes a minimum sidewalk width of 6 feet.[28] It further states that outdoor dining may occur on any portion of the sidewalk so long as there is always a 6-foot-wide unobstructed path for pedestrians and the proper permits are obtained.[29] Another Guide goal is to design sidewalks that can accommodate large trees and collect stormwater.[30] The City requires that there be a continuous landscaped or hardscaped area adjacent to the curb, essentially a buffer, on predominantly noncommercial streets.[31] San Antonio also allows street furnishings, such tables, chairs and benches, as long as they maintain a clear passage for pedestrians, are designed in a way to encourage their use, can withstand the elements, and are situated in appropriate locations.[32]

To view this provision, see San Antonio, TX Unified Development Code § 35-310.11(b) (2015).

San Francisco, CA

In 2010, San Francisco adopted a Better Streets Plan to create a unified set of standards and guidelines to govern how the City builds and maintains its pedestrian environment.[33] In all districts, streetscape and pedestrian elements of proposed developments must be in conformance with the conditions set out in the Better Streets Plan.[34] Pursuant to the plan, all new publicly-accessible right-of-ways proposed as part of development projects must meet certain minimum sidewalk widths.[35] These widths are also recommended for existing developments, although they are not required.[36] Minimum width is based on the street type as it is characterized in the Better Streets Plan.[37] For example, Commercial Throughway streets require a sidewalk width of 15 feet.[38] In the Better Streets Plan, a Commercial Throughway street is one that moves high volumes of people moving across town in a variety of travel modes.[39] On these streets, people are attracted to shop and eat, and the traffic tends to be fast and continuous.[40]

Another street designation is Neighborhood Residential.[41] It is characterized by lower traffic volumes and speeds with quieter residential neighborhoods. Neighborhood Residential streets have lower levels of activity compared to some other street types, but they still play an important role in supporting the social life of the neighborhood.[42] Neighborhood Residential streets are required to have a minimum sidewalk width of 12 feet. However, minimum sidewalk widths may be decreased by up to 2 feet where there is a consistent front setback spanning the entire length of the block face.[43] The City does not require projects to have additional “streetscape elements”, such as benches or bike racks, in order to comply with the Better Streets Plan.[44] However, these additional elements must consist of material and furnishing from a City-approved pallet and be consistent with the overall neighborhood.[45]

To view this provision, see San Francisco, CA Planning Code § 138.1(c)(2)(B)(iv) (2018).

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

Detroit, MI City Code § 50-4-19 (Current through 2017) (requiring a minimum sidewalk width of six feet for all sidewalks constructed in the city).

Chicago, IL Municipal Code § 17-4-0604 (2016) (requiring a minimum sidewalk width of 14 feet on designated mobility streets in the Downtown Districts).

Seattle, WA Municipal Code § 23.49.022, Map 1C (2011) (requiring minimum sidewalk widths of 12, 15, and 18 feet on certain streets in downtown zones).

Sugar Land, TX Land Development Code § 5-26 (Current Through 2019) (requiring a minimum sidewalk width of 5 feet on all local streets and a minimum sidewalk width of 6 feet on streets identified as “Minor Collector, Major Collector, Arterial, State Highway, or Freeway”).