Description
Develop pedways to connect buildings and transportation terminals which create indoor urban walking networks that offer a protected environment during hot summer months and cold winters.
Implementation Details
- Identify candidate sites for covered walkways in high foot-traffic areas.
- Coordinate with anchor institutions (e.g., hospitals, universities, malls) to create weather-protected pedestrian corridors linked to transit stops.
- Provide Traffic Demand Management (TDM) credits or development bonuses for large projects that implement indoor or covered walkways improving nonmotorized access.
- Incorporate pedways into specific plans and update design guidelines to ensure ADA accessibility and year-round usability.
Mitigation Potential
Indoor pedways that connect buildings and transportation terminals increase safety, comfort, and convenience of walking, especially during extreme weather conditions. Impacts on VMT will vary based on the location and connection of the pedestrian networks to local/regional networks.
For more details, see Victoria Transport Policy Institute – Pedways and CAPCOA, T-18. Provide Pedestrian Network Improvement, pg. 133-136 for VMT reduction quantification.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Pedways improve walkability and safety in hot desert environments and help older adults, people with disabilities, and transit-dependent riders by providing shaded or climate-controlled connections. Prioritizing investments in areas with high foot traffic and limited pedestrian infrastructure like near medical centers, colleges, or downtowns ensures that vulnerable users can travel safely and comfortably year round.
Funding Sources
Private funding sources. Likely requires significant initial funding to construct. Funding sources include the Surface Transportation Block Grant & Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Programs (Southern California Council of Governments), and the Transformative Climate Communities Program California (Strategic Growth Council).
Examples/Case Studies
Houston Downtown Tunnel System
Houston’s system of over 6 miles of indoor, climate-controlled pedestrian tunnels connects offices, civic buildings, and transit stops. Originally developed to encourage comfortable walking in hot weather zones
(Source: Houston Downtown District).
Minneapolis Skyway System
Minneapolis developed a 9.5-mile elevated pedestrian network linking downtown buildings, facilitating all-season access to transit and offices. Though in a cold climate, it’s a model for enclosed walkability infrastructure in any weather-extreme region
(Source: City of Minneapolis Skyways).