SIDEWALKS

El Paso City Code tit. 19, art. 2, ch. 19.21

in effect

El Paso City Code § 19.21.010 Purpose and applicability.

19.21.010 - Purpose and applicability. A. Purpose. Sidewalks are required as a part of subdivision plat approval as outlined within this chapter and in Title 13, Chapter 04 to help the City of El Paso achieve the following: 1. Promote the mobility, health, safety, and welfare of residents, property owners, and visitors to the City of El Paso and to implement objectives and strategies of the El Paso Comprehensive Plan; 2. Improve the safety of walking by providing separation from motorized transportation and improving travel surfaces for pedestrians; 3. Improve public welfare by providing an alternate means of access to transportation and social interaction, especially for children, other citizens without personal vehicles, or those with disabilities; 4. Facilitate walking as a means of physical activity recognized as an important provider of health benefits; 5. Establish minimum criteria for the development of sidewalks as a part of the pedestrian element of the transportation system within the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). B. Applicability. These requirements shall apply to all development within the city and its ETJ. C. Exceptions. The city plan commission may approve an exception to the requirement for sidewalks on individual streets or within subdivisions: 1. In existing single-family residential neighborhoods where sidewalks are not present and have not historically been provided or comply; 2. On local streets within an approved subdivision where all the lots provide a minimum one-half acre lot area and the adjoining properties have no sidewalks; 3. On mountain residential and divided mountain residential streets within an approved mountain development subdivision; 4. On local streets within an approved planned unit development where pedestrian access is provided within the approved subdivision through an alternative sidewalk design not installed within the street right-of-way; provided, however, that an easement may be required by the city manager or designee to provide for the installation of traffic signage and signalization, utility services, neighborhood delivery and collection box units, or other similar facilities; 5. On local streets within an approved subdivision which meet all of the following criteria as determined by the city plan commission: a. A characteristic of the neighborhood is that no sidewalks have been required to date, b. The subdivision adjoins or lies within a neighborhood in which buildings or structures have been constructed on at least fifty percent of the lots within the neighborhood, and c. The type of subdivision and intensity of land use is compatible with the character of the neighborhood; 6. On streets within neighborhoods that meet the criteria in Title 20 for infill development, where a street construction project, whether local, state or federal, has been awarded and the project includes construction of the sidewalks; and 7. In areas with severe topography or other natural constraints that will constrain proper implementation of this title. (Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008) (Ord. No. 17236, § 27, 11-10-2009; Ord. No. 17923, § 1, 1-2-2013)

El Paso City Code § 19.21.020 General requirements.

19.21.020 - General requirements. General Requirements. The following general requirements and the requirements contained in the street design manual (SDM) apply to the provision of all sidewalks throughout the city and ETJ. A. Standards Not Otherwise Specified. Where facility standards and requirements are not otherwise specified within this chapter, the design of pedestrian facilities shall follow the city's code, Chapter 13.04, the Street Design Manual (SDM) and other city Sidewalk Design Standards and applicable state and federal laws and regulations. B. Maintenance. All sidewalks, sidewalk amenities, and landscaping in the right-of-way shall be maintained by the adjoining property owner unless otherwise specifically provided for by public policy. C. Location and Width of Sidewalks. Unless noted otherwise: 1. Sidewalks shall have a minimum clear path width of a minimum of five feet on local streets in all zoning districts primarily intended for single-family residential development when located adjacent to the property line. Sidewalks located next to the curb along local streets shall be a minimum five feet in width. Sidewalks along arterials shall have a minimum of five feet in width; 2. Sidewalks shall have a minimum clear path width of a minimum of five feet in all other locations; 3. Sidewalks in areas determined to be high pedestrian traffic areas or pedestrian-oriented developments by the CPC may be required to be wider than the minimum widths listed herein by the CPC; 4. Sidewalks shall be located in existing areas to match the width and location of existing walks of the block in which they are located. Vacant blocks shall comply with the sidewalk requirements of this title; 5. Sidewalks shall not be located next to the curb on collectors or arterial streets except when an exception is approved by the CPC or designee at the time of subdivision plat approval. Such exception shall be in accordance with Chapter 19.48 and due to actual physical or topographic constraints. Sidewalks on TXDOT facilities shall be as approved by TXDOT; 6. Sidewalks may be required to improve connectivity between subdivisions, to schools, parks, bus stops and retail areas by the CPC at the time of plat approval; 7. The CPC may approve alternative sidewalk design and locations at the time of plat approval including meandering or curvilinear sidewalks provided such design and location meets the intent of this title. D. Timing of Improvements. The timing of sidewalk construction shall be as required by this chapter and Chapter 13.04, unless a developer agreement between the property owner and the city provides for alternative timing for construction or security has been provided in accordance with this title. E. Internal Pedestrian Circulation. In addition to sidewalks within the right-of-way, internal pedestrian circulation shall be provided in new development or redevelopment serving any nonresidential and at any governmental facility, school, church, or other place of public assembly. Sidewalks shall be installed to connect all buildings to one another and to parking areas and to connect the development to the public street system. All such sidewalks shall be protected from encroachment by parked vehicles. F. Curb ramps shall be provided within a street right-of-way wherever an accessible route for pedestrians (sidewalk or pedestrian way) is required. The design and construction of curb ramps shall be in accordance with the SDM and shall comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards. G. Compliance with SDM. Sidewalks shall be constructed in compliance with the standards in the City of El Paso SDM and Chapter 13.04. (Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008; Ord. No. 19327, § 38, 4-26-2022)

El Paso City Code § 19.21.030 Sidewalk requirements for new streets.

19.21.030 - Sidewalk requirements for new streets. A. Sides of the Street. Sidewalks shall be required on both sides of all new streets except in accordance with Chapter 13.04. B. Timing of improvements. 1. Sidewalks, landscape and curb ramps shall be provided by the developer at the time of road construction on all new freeway frontage roads unless disallowed by TXDOT, arterial streets, or collector streets, except on individual lots fronting on or siding up to such street. The developer may choose to provide security in accordance with this chapter and to delegate the requirement to construct such sidewalks, landscape and curb ramps to the purchaser of a lot or the purchaser's builder as a part of the building permit for a period of three years from the date of acceptance of the adjacent street. However, at the end of the three-year time period, the developer shall make arrangements to complete the missing sidewalks, landscape and curb ramps or in lieu of such arrangements, the city may utilize the security to complete the sidewalks, landscape and curb ramps. As sidewalks, landscape and curb ramps are completed during the three year period, the developer may request the partial release of security for the completed portions in accordance with this title. C. Financial guarantee. A developer of a new subdivision may contribute the projected cost of the sidewalk construction into an escrow fund or through other form of financial guarantee to delay the time of construction of the sidewalk according to procedures within this title and Chapter 13.04. (Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008) (Ord. No. 17236, § 27, 11-10-2009; Ord. No. 18056, § 14, 8-6-2013)

El Paso City Code § 19.21.040 Sidewalk requirements for existing streets.

19.21.040 - Sidewalk requirements for existing streets. A. Sides of the Street. Sidewalks shall be required on both sides of existing collector streets, arterial streets, and the external sides of the frontage roads of freeways. B. Location. Sidewalks shall be required along block faces of existing local streets where redevelopment is occurring in any of the following categories or combinations of categories: 1. The central business district designated by the El Paso comprehensive plan; 2. Designated pedestrian routes in a neighborhood plan, corridor plan, or other small area plan adopted by the City of El Paso; 3. Locations that would connect existing or otherwise required sidewalks by closing gaps of less than two hundred and fifty feet; 4. Locations in which an adjacent property has a public sidewalk along the same block face; 5. Street frontages in all developments except the following: a. Developments intended primarily for single-family residential purposes and where sidewalks are not present, b. Along local and collector streets in developments intended primarily for warehousing, manufacturing, and industrial uses, c. Developments intended to preserve agricultural activities and open space. C. Required with Street Improvement. Any land development or subdivision that triggers a requirement for any street improvements along an existing collector street, arterial street, or freeway frontage road shall include sidewalk improvements. The sidewalks shall be provided concurrently by the developer with other street improvements except as otherwise provided in this chapter and Chapter 13.04. D. Site Plan. No new or amended site plan shall be approved for development on any property in a location wherein sidewalks are required unless applicable provisions for required sidewalks are included in the site plan. E. Permits. A certificate of occupancy, or any other type of final approval for a residential development that does not require a certificate of occupancy, may not be issued until required sidewalks are installed or brought up to applicable standards when there is development activity requiring: 1. A permit for new construction of a structure other than an accessory structure, 2. A permit for a major addition to a structure other than an accessory structure, or 3. A permit for major alterations or repairs to a structure other than an accessory structure. F. Removal Requires Replacement. An existing sidewalk may not be removed unless a replacement sidewalk is constructed to standards current at the time of removal. (Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008)

El Paso City Code § 19.21.050 Waivers and deviations.

19.21.050 - Waivers and deviations. A. Waivers. A complete waiver of the requirement for sidewalks should be rare and allowed only where there are extreme factors. The waiver shall be approved by the city plan commission at the time of plat approval upon a favorable recommendation of the city manager, or designee and shall be documented with supporting data that indicates the basis for the decision. B. Deviations. Deviations from these requirements and the SDM and other city Sidewalk Design Standards may be allowed by the city manager or designee as part of site plan review when necessary due to the physical circumstance of the street or when necessary to accomplish adopted development goals of the city. 1. The specific nature and justification for any deviation must be documented and authorized in writing by the city manager or designee. 2. Deviations should be minimal and consist primarily of changes to required width of clear path or alignment within the right-of-way. 3. Deviations shall not allow a minimum clear path width of less than three feet. (Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008; Ord. No. 19327, § 39, 4-26-2022)

Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT19SUDEPL_ART2SUST_CH19.21SIFetched: 10/28/2026