On Oct. 26, West University Place city staff asked the City Council for feedback on the first steps of a project to widen pedestrian sidewalks along Buffalo Speedway. The project is listed in the city's 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan, which the council approved Aug. 17.
City Manager Dave Beach said the project would install an 8- to 12-foot-wide sidewalk from Bissonnet Street to West Holcombe Boulevard. He said the city could designate parts of the sidewalk for other uses, such as a bike lane. Council members will need to weigh any limitations or problems from those designations later in design. The work ties into five traffic studies by BGE Engineers, three of which were updated at the meeting. Capital plan documents list $90,000 in 2026 for a feasibility study, an estimated $995,000 for design, and an estimated $11,240,000 for construction, with 80% of that construction cost expected to come from grants.
Mayor Susan Sample said the sidewalks are too thin, so people walk in the street and avoid the route. She said she supports sidewalk improvements that promote safety. Mayor Pro Tem John Barnes said people prefer continuous paths rather than paths that break up at street crossings.