Parents of students at Almeda Elementary, on Almeda-School Road in southwest Houston, told ABC13 that the walking options around the school feel unsafe. Parent Amari Dixon said she doesn't feel it is safe, which is why her children are picked up. Parent Maria Sanchez pointed to heavy traffic and a nearby commercial area.
Link Houston, a nonprofit transportation advocacy group, estimates that about 57% of Houston streets have sidewalks, and 39% of those are rated fair or poor. The city began requiring sidewalks in residential areas in 1990. Neighborhoods built in the 1960s or 1970s are less likely to have them. Homeowners are responsible for building and maintaining sidewalks in front of their homes. Those without sidewalks can ask the city for an exemption or pay a fee.
For sidewalks near schools, the city can use funding to build them, but residents must contact the city to request them. A spokesperson for the District K councilwoman's office said Houston Public Works would go to the school to clean up overgrown grass and shrubs along the sidewalks. The spokesperson did not give a firm date or timeline for expanding the sidewalk system in the area.