United States Department of Transportation
i
An examination of practices for retrofitting existing roads with sidewalks in the United States.
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2010-06-01
[PDF-213.51 KB]
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Edition:Final report
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Abstract:In Virginia, as in the United States, many roads were built without sidewalks. With steadily increasing efforts to
develop a more balanced, multimodal transportation system, missing sidewalks pose a unique connectivity issue. Although the
Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations allows for the
construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities separate from highway construction, it does not specifically address the issue of
missing sidewalks. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine current practices relating to retrofitting existing roads
with sidewalks in order to provide VDOT with guidance on addressing the issue of missing sidewalks in its transportation
system.
Three tasks were performed to achieve the study objectives. First, a literature review was conducted to identify material
that addressed issues relating to retrofitting existing roads with sidewalks. Second, VDOT’s current practices were documented
and reviewed based on a survey and interviews of district staff. Third, the practices of state departments of transportation
(DOTs) and selected localities were identified based on a survey of the DOT and locality representatives, the literature review,
and a search of agency websites.
With regard to the literature review, no publication focusing on the topic of missing sidewalks was found. Most of the
literature was focused on accommodations for pedestrians along newly constructed roads and on operational issues for existing
pedestrian facilities.
With regard to VDOT’s current practices, VDOT has no current policy to construct missing sidewalks. No VDOT
district has an inventory of sidewalks or missing sidewalks or any “wish-list” for sidewalk connections. Further, there is no
prioritization method should more requests for sidewalk connections be received than is possible to accommodate. Although
VDOT has completed a limited number of projects to provide missing sidewalks, there is no dedicated funding source to address
future requests.
Most state DOTs are similar to VDOT in not having a program to construct missing sidewalks. Experiences of localities
across the United States show successful sidewalk retrofit programs, which focus on targeted areas with high pedestrian activity.
The study recommends that VDOT develop guidelines for identifying, prioritizing, and constructing missing sidewalks.
Such guidelines are expected to provide guidance relating to identifying high-priority targeted areas for constructing missing
sidewalks, prioritizing needed projects, and identifying funding options.
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