Let's help Tyler become a city you can walk.

Right now our sidewalks stop wherever a property line does, handing walkers off to ditches, broken glass, and busy shoulders. We're doing the legwork, measuring every missing foot ourselves, so the City has what it needs to close the gaps.

Get involved See the problem

Neighbors are measuring the gaps in Tyler. Will you join us?

The City uses robots to check the condition of Tyler's existing sidewalks. Nobody has mapped where sidewalks are missing entirely, and that's work residents can do. We're walking Tyler block by block to build that map for the City, and we need your help.

  1. Let us know

    Fill out the short volunteer form below, and we'll get back to you soon.

  2. Walk, measure, and track

    Roll a measuring wheel (we provide one) or measure with your phone. Snap photos and log the footage.

  3. Bring a neighbor

    We'll take the map to City Hall, and the more of us who walk, the stronger our case. Invite a friend.

Volunteer Where the data goes

Team Sidewalks is run by Tyler residents, and you don't need any experience to join. Walk a block, meet your neighbors, and help build sidewalks the whole city can use.

Every foot we measure goes public.

Nobody has a full count of how much sidewalk Tyler is missing, including the City. When the Sidewalk Census is done, everyone will. We'll publish all of it for free, including a block-by-block map of the missing sidewalks and the raw numbers behind it.

  • A map and a spreadsheet

    The release covers every block we walk, with measurements, photos, and notes, in formats that City staff and residents can open.

  • Free for everyone

    City planners, council members, reporters, neighborhood groups, and students can all use it at no cost.

  • Released when it's ready

    The download opens once the census is finished or complete enough to be useful. Leave your email, and we'll let you know when it's live.

Status: still collecting, download not yet available

Get the data when it's released

We'll send you one email when the download opens.

We'll only use your email for the data release. We won't add you to a newsletter or share your address.

Where the sidewalk ends

Tyler leaves sidewalks up to individual property owners. You can see where one lot ends and the next begins, because that's where the sidewalk stops.

Sidewalks to nowhere

Pavement appears and disappears block by block, so a simple walk becomes an obstacle course of dead ends and detours into the street.

Ditches, glass & debris

Where the concrete stops, walkers are left with grass, drainage ditches, broken glass, trash, and unkempt lots.

Our most vulnerable pay

Kids walking to school, seniors, people using wheelchairs, and anyone without a car are forced into traffic to do everyday things.

Bike lanes that go nowhere

Meanwhile, the City paints disconnected, lightly used bike lanes in scattered spots. That money could close the gaps people walk every day.

What a walkable Tyler looks like

A city that works for everyone starts with connected sidewalks. Picture this on your street.

Kids walk to school

Children get to school, the park, and a friend's house on their own two feet, without a parent shadowing every step along a busy shoulder.

Seniors keep independence

A smooth, continuous path means a walker or wheelchair never gets stranded, and a trip to the store doesn't depend on catching a ride.

Transit you can reach

A bus stop is only useful if you can safely walk to it. Sidewalks turn scattered stops into a system people can use.

Local business thrives

People on foot stop at local shops and cafés. People driving past at 45 mph usually don't.

What we're asking the City of Tyler

We want to work with the City. We're bringing a measuring wheel, a map, and a few clear requests, and we're ready to help however we can.

  1. 01

    Fund sidewalks as public infrastructure

    Treat sidewalks like roads, water, and streetlights, as a service the City builds and maintains instead of leaving them to whoever owns the lot.

  2. 02

    Close the gaps first

    Connect the pavement we already have into a continuous network, prioritizing routes to schools, transit, and essential services.

  3. 03

    People before disconnected bike lanes

    Redirect spending from scattered, underused bike lanes toward the walking infrastructure the whole city uses every day.

  4. 04

    Build to ADA standards

    Every new foot of sidewalk should be accessible by design, with the proper width, curb ramps, and surfaces that work for wheels as well as feet.