School bus crash victim remembered as dedicated UT scholar, friend: 'He was like sunshine'
YOUR-VOICE

Opinion: Where Austin sidewalks end, problems start

By Sujal Manohar
Residents marched in 2019 along Yager Lane in Northeast Austin to call for sidewalks after teenager Billy Brewster was struck and killed by a car on that road. A study that year found Austin has only half of the sidewalks it needs.

A few weeks ago, after months of virtual engagement, I was thrilled to teach my first in-person drawing class at an Austin art studio for people with disabilities. However, when one artist, Susan, arrived, she appeared more flustered than excited. Susan uses a wheelchair, and she explained that missing and broken sidewalks made her journey from the bus stop nearly impossible. For part of the route, Susan had no choice but to risk traveling on the main road during a lull in traffic.

Susan could not get assistance along the way. She did report the accessibility issues by submitting photographic evidence via the city's 311 Service App. However, taking an image of a missing sidewalk will not make it easier to cross. And it places the burden on people with disabilities, a historically excluded group, to do the work of reporting. Navigating daily accessibility challenges is not only physically exhausting but also mentally draining.

More:Opinion: It's time for a health literacy law in Texas

COVID-19 revealed deep inequalities in public health. The post-pandemic era presents an opportunity to recommit to public health inclusivity in every domain. Making our sidewalks more accessible is one concrete, meaningful step we can take.

Austin has long recognized that its sidewalks are in need of serious work. While progress has been made, as of 2019, Austin only had around half of the sidewalks it needs. Many existing sidewalks include sections not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city’s Public Works Department estimates that 80% of Austin's sidewalks are in poor condition and 40% have overgrown vegetation blocking the path.

At the current rate of adding 7-10 miles annually, it will take almost 200 years before the city’s sidewalk network will be complete. As Susan’s story illustrates, sidewalks are a matter of physical safety and have implications for accessibility and public health. Investing in sidewalks addresses inequalities in all of these areas.

More:Opinion: Why infrastructure will never resolve our border challenges

Austin’s 2016 Master Plan aims to spend $25 million annually for 10 years to build new sidewalks and improve existing ones. However, it’s not clear where that money will come from. A $37.5 million bond passed in 2016 covers only 3% of the needed sidewalks and is being spent ahead of schedule. Voters approved another transportation bond last year that puts $80 million toward sidewalks, but that's just a fraction of the estimated $1 billion needed. A 2019 audit revealed that Austin simply lacks the funds for many sidewalk projects. Furthermore, 15% of funding has been spent on locations that did not receive accessibility inspections, potentially resulting in barriers for people with disabilities.

In 2021, as Austin transitions to a post-pandemic world and updates its master plan, the city must consider its allocation of resources. This is the moment to increase investment in a way that makes us more inclusive.

Austin can learn from other cities known for their accessibility. In Seattle, 75% of blocks include sidewalks. The city’s transportation budget was boosted by a $930 million levy approved by voters in 2015 that maintains basic infrastructure but also invests in improvements for the future.

Like Seattle, rapidly growing Austin should pass a levy for long-term funding, aiming to cover at least 20% of its sidewalk needs. Support from politicians and the public would be required; Seattle’s levy passed due to campaigns by its mayor and advocates who mobilized young voters. This is a worthwhile and feasible investment. To fund Seattle’s levy, for example, the average household would spend an additional $12 per month.

Many public health policy challenges are difficult to tackle, but Austin’s sidewalk problem has a relatively straightforward solution. We know what the answers are. We know what it will cost. Now is the time to make society welcoming where it wasn’t before, to rebuild so that people like Susan can fully engage in life, post pandemic.  

Manohar, a recent Duke University graduate, works at Imagine Art, a nonprofit art studio for people with disabilities in Austin. She will attend Baylor College of Medicine this fall.