Program overview
The Capital Investment Plan includes funding for the Sidewalk and Pedestrian Safety Program to address ongoing pedestrian safety issues for the more than 870,000 current residents. Guided by City Council’s adopted Sidewalk Retrofit Policy, those funds will be used to construct 10 to 12 miles of new sidewalks and to support the City’s goal of constructing 15 new pedestrian crossings per year.
Charlotte has experienced dramatic growth over the past 70 years. During that time, transportation policy in Charlotte focused on providing quick and easy access to automobiles. Sidewalks and pedestrian safety were not a significant part of the City’s transportation strategy.
In the late 1990s that changed, and the City of Charlotte shifted its transportation focus toward creating “Complete Streets” that accommodate all types of users of all different abilities – whether on foot, on a bike, in a bus or in a car.
As a part of that policy shift, the Sidewalk & Pedestrian Safety Program was created to build new sidewalks and pedestrian crossings that make Charlotte’s streets and neighborhoods safer and more attractive for walking. The program has constructed more than100 miles of new sidewalks since 2002, improving pedestrian safety and offering citizens a healthy and attractive alternative to travel by car.
Program funding and cost information
$75 million
- Voter-approved transportation improvement bonds ($15 million each in 2014 and 2016)
- Proposed transportation improvement bonds ($30 million in 2018 and $15 million in 2020)