Flooded tunnels and crumbling pavement highlight Houston's sidewalk problem

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston isn't known for being walkable. Barriers to pedestrians exist all over the city, including a dedicated pedestrian pathway along Houston Avenue near Washington that's been flooded for a week.

The waterlogged tunnel has been a headache for First Ward resident and cyclist Nick Davis.

"I just like riding my bike, and I don't like traffic. I just like the way I experience the world when I don't have a metal barrier around me," Davis said.

Davis said the tunnel is usually full of trash and people camping out, but it flooded during the first weekend of June, and since then, he's been forced to make the risky choice of riding his bike in traffic lanes or carrying it across the railroad tracks.

"This problem with the flooding is recent; I've never seen that before," Davis said.

Sidewalk maintenance is complicated. Some of it, like the pedestrian tunnel, is the responsibility of the city; other sidewalk fixes fall to home and business owners. ABC13 checked around the city and found that maintenance is needed across neighborhoods.

Juan and Yesley Campso were walking in the Third Ward when they spoke with Eyewitness News.

"We got detoured like three times because of the construction around here. It's not a walkable city at all," Juan Compo said.

Houston Public Works data shows that so far this year, more than 4,000 complaints have been made to 311 that mention sidewalks. 13 Investigates reviewed the numbers and found that a quarter of those complaints mentioned sidewalks being blocked, and over 500 complained about cracks, damages, and needed repair.

"It needs improvements for sure," Juan Campo said.

Houston Public Works said trash clogged the drain inside the pedestrian tunnel. HPW cleaned the drain and pumped the tunnel on Friday and said they will have the lights inside fixed in the next 14 days.

Davis feels adding trash cans to the area would help keep the drain from clogging again.