Improve the Infrastructure of Your Community

The first step in getting a sidewalk or other infrastructure in your neighborhood is to talk to local officials. Image: Royalty-Free/Corbis/Jupiterimages

Sidewalks, crosswalks, streetlights, and other infrastructure can boost property values. If your neighborhood lacks infrastructure, consider asking your local government to provide it.

Infrastructure improvements also provide curb appeal and add to a town’s value. Simply put, a walking-friendly and well-lit neighborhood helps create a sense of community and makes an area more desirable to prospective homebuyers.

Infrastructure improvements quickly change the look and feel of your neighborhood. With real estate appraisals taking into account the desirability of a town, it just may be time to spearhead community efforts to get sidewalks, crosswalks, and streetlights installed in your area.

Funding may come from a variety of sources, including local, state, and federal funding, or possibly from the pockets of local residents. Don’t be surprised if you face opposition from neighbors who may be resistant to change, or worried about who will get billed for the cost of new projects.

A campaign for new infrastructure will require at least 100 hours of your time as you must lobby government officials, publicize your efforts, and generate public support for your project.

First steps

Start your campaign for a crosswalk, sidewalk, or streetlight with a call to your local mayor and council person’s office to find out what part of your local government handles these upgrades.

Ask if your city or town has any short- or long-term plans to develop a grid of sidewalks or street lighting. “Developing a system of sidewalks leading to a downtown, shopping district, or local school certainly adds more value to the neighborhood than disjointed sections of sidewalk,” says Cheryl E. Kuck, public information officer for the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Understanding the process

Next, ask about the approval process and whether adjacent residents will be charged for your planned project. Some jurisdictions require a certain number or percentage of people on the block to agree to new projects. Others have a lengthy process that involves a zoning or planning board. 

The best way to push for change is to present your case well. If your town has a specific problem that needs to be addressed, such as a very busy intersection close to a community school, it may be easy to garner neighborhood support and local government attention to the need for a crosswalk.

Town or city engineers will need to do feasibility studies to decide whether or not a crosswalk is necessary to improve pedestrian safety or traffic flow. “It may not be helpful to put in a crosswalk and no light, for example,” says Charlie Zegeer, director of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. A wide street carrying high-speed traffic may benefit from a light, marked lines, and a flashing crosswalk sign.

The costs and paying for it

Those with limited resources or seniors on a fixed income can be particularly concerned about the additional costs billed back to them. “Many streetlights and sidewalks on residential blocks are paid for by a special assessment to the property owners there,” says Roger K. Lewis, a practicing architect and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park School of Architecture.

Individuals in a homeowners association typically pay a fee for upgrades to the street, as well as maintenance and utility bills for streetlights. Some towns or cities might do a bond issue or use local capital improvement funds to construct streetlights, install crosswalks, or add sidewalks.

Infrastructure doesn’t come cheap. Concrete curbs and sidewalks cost about $15 per linear foot for curbing and $11 per square foot for walkways. Streetlight and crosswalk costs differ depending on the design of the item.

Local officials may be able to find state and federal grants or stimulus funding for infrastructure projects. The Safe Routes to School campaign gives money to local communities to build sidewalks near schools.

Some jurisdictions ease the burden on individual taxpayers as well by offering relief or deferrals for seniors facing special assessments for sidewalk or streetlight additions to their property.

Understanding the naysayers

Even if money isn’t an issue, you still might find other homeowners against alterations to the neighborhood. “Many people think that a road without a sidewalk lends a pastoral quality to the neighborhood,” says Lewis. “Basically, it’s a kind of a reluctance to change.”

The neighbors may also balk if a new sidewalk will take away a piece of their front lawns or a streetlight will shine in their bedroom windows. “It’s important for neighborhood leaders to make clear the many tangible and intangible benefits of these modifications,” says Lewis.

Building the case

As Americans become more environmentally and health conscious, crosswalks and sidewalks are a good way to get your neighbors up and out of their cars and walking. A walking-friendly neighborhood is steadily increasing in cache and value.

“It’s a great time to make the push for pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods,” says Frank Lucco, managing director of IRR Residential Appraisal and Consultants in Houston.

However, convincing politicians to spend money for a project can be difficult, especially when town coffers are shrinking. “Building community support helps to sway local council people to your side,” says Zegeer.

Myra A. Thomas is an award-winning Fanwood, N.J.-based journalist. She was drawn to Fanwood because of the quaint walking downtown with well-marked crosswalks and Victorian street lamps. Myra is slowly rehabbing her 50-year old split-level home, but she is lamenting the lack of a sidewalk on her block.