This article is about pedestrian paths next to roads. For pedestrian paths that are not next to roads, seeFootpath. For other uses, seeSidewalk (disambiguation).
Raised sidewalk with stonecurbs beside a 2000-year-old paved road inPompeii,Italy
In the United States, the termsidewalk is used for the pedestrian path beside a road. "Shared use paths" or "multi-use paths" are available for use by both pedestrians and bicyclists.[9] "Walkway" is a more comprehensive term that includes stairs, ramps, passageways, and related structures that facilitate the use of a path as well as the sidewalk.[10]
In the UK, the term "footpath" is mostly used for paths that do not abut a roadway.[11] The term "shared-use path" is used where cyclists are also able to use the same section of path as pedestrians.[12]
In Australia and New Zealand, the term 'footpath' is used for all pedestrian paths, whether or not it runs alongside the road.[8][13] A 'shared path' (or 'shared-use path') is a 'paved area particularly designed...for the movement of cyclists and pedestrians', and 'pavement' is the 'portion of a road designed for the support of...vehicular traffic'.[8]
East India House,Leadenhall Street, London, 1766. The pavement is separated from the main street by sixbollards in front of the building.Raised wooden sidewalk by a dirt road, Staten Island, N.Y., early 20th century
Sidewalks have operated for at least 4,000 years.[14] The Greek city ofCorinth had sidewalks by the 4th-century BC, and theRomans built sidewalks – they called themsēmitae.[15]
However, by theMiddle Ages, narrow roads had reverted to being simultaneously used bypedestrians andwagons without any formal separation between the two categories. Early attempts at ensuring the adequate maintenance of foot-ways or sidewalks were often made, as in theColchester Improvement Act 1623 (21 Jas. 1. c.34) forColchester, but they were generally not very effective.[16]
Following theGreat Fire of London in 1666, attempts were slowly made to bring some order to the sprawling city. In 1671, "Certain Orders, Rules and Directions Touching the Paving and Cleansing The Streets, Lanes and Common Passages within the City of London" were formulated, calling for all streets to be adequately paved for pedestrians withcobblestones.Purbeck stone was widely used as a durable paving material.Bollards were also installed to protect pedestrians from the traffic in the middle of the road.
The BritishHouse of Commons passed a series of Paving Acts from the 18th century. The 1766 Paving & Lighting Act authorized theCity of London Corporation to establish foot-ways throughout all the streets of London, to pave them with Purbeck stone (the thoroughfare in the middle was generally cobblestone) and to raise them above the street level withkerbs forming the separation.[17] The corporation was also made responsible for the regular upkeep of the roads, including their cleaning and repair, for which they charged a tax from 1766.[18] Another turning point was the construction of Paris'sPont Neuf (1578–1606) which set several trends including wide, raised sidewalks separating pedestrians from the road traffic, plus the first Parisian bridge without houses built on it, and its generous width plus elegant, durable design that immediately became popular for promenading at the beginning of the century that saw Paris take its form renowned to this day. It was also a cultural phenomenon because all classes mixed on the new walkways. By the 19th-century large and spacious sidewalks were routinely constructed in European capitals, and were associated with urban sophistication.
Pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, locally known as a "pavement" inLondonSidewalk at Kauppakatu inTampere, Finland
Sidewalks played an important role intransportation, as they provided a path for people to walk along without stepping on horsemanure. They aided road safety by minimizing interaction between pedestrians, horses, carriages, and later automobiles. Sidewalks are normally in pairs, one on each side of the road, with the center section of the road for motorized vehicles.Crosswalks provide pedestrians a space to cross between the two sides of the street at predictable locations.
On rural roads, sidewalks may not be present as the amount of traffic (pedestrian or motorized) may not be enough to justify separating the two. In suburban and urban areas, sidewalks are typically more common. In town and city centers (known asdowntown in the USA) the amount of pedestrian traffic can exceed motorized traffic, and in this case the sidewalks can occupy more than half of the width of the road, or the whole road can bepedestrianized.
Sidewalks may have a small effect on reducing vehicle miles traveled and carbon dioxide emissions. A study of sidewalk and transit investments in Seattle neighborhoods found vehicle travel reductions of 6 to 8% and CO2 emission reductions of 1.3 to 2.2%[19]
Research commissioned for theFlorida Department of Transportation, published in 2005, found that, in Florida, the Crash Reduction Factor (used to estimate the expected reduction of crashes during a given period) resulting from the installation of sidewalks averaged 74%.[20]Research at theUniversity of North Carolina for theU.S. Department of Transportation found that the presence or absence of a sidewalk and thespeed limit are significant factors in the likelihood of a vehicle/pedestrian crash. Sidewalk presence had a risk ratio of 0.118, which means that the likelihood of a crash on a road with a paved sidewalk was 88.2 percent lower than one without a sidewalk. The authors wrote that "this should not be interpreted to mean that installing sidewalks would necessarily reduce the likelihood of pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes by 88.2 percent in all situations. However, the presence of a sidewalk clearly has a strong beneficial effect of reducing the risk of a 'walking along roadway' pedestrian/motor vehicle crash." The study does not count crashes that happen when walking across a roadway. The speed limit risk ratio was 1.116, which means that a 16.1-km/h (10-mi/h) increase in the limit yields a factor of (1.116)10 or 3.[21]
The presence or absence of sidewalks was one of three factors that were found to encourage drivers to choose lower, safer speeds.[22]
On the other hand, the implementation of schemes which involve the removal of sidewalks, such asshared space schemes, are reported to deliver a dramatic drop in crashes and congestion too, which indicates that a number of other factors, such as the local speed environment, also play an important role in whether sidewalks are necessarily the best local solution for pedestrian safety.[23]
In cold weather,black ice is a common problem with unsalted sidewalks. The ice forms a thin transparent surface film which is almost impossible to see, and so results in many slips bypedestrians.
Ridingbicycles on sidewalks is discouraged since some research shows it to be more dangerous than riding in the street.[24] Some jurisdictions prohibit sidewalk riding except for children. In addition to the risk of cyclist/pedestrian collisions, cyclists face increase risks from collisions with motor vehicles at street crossings and driveways. Riding in the direction opposite to traffic in the adjacent lane is especially risky.[25]
Since residents of neighborhoods with sidewalks are more likely to walk, they tend to have lower rates ofcardiovascular disease,obesity, and other health issues related tosedentary lifestyles.[26] Also, children who walk to school have been shown to have better concentration.[27]
Some sidewalks may be used as social spaces withsidewalk cafés,markets, orbusking musicians, as well as forparking for a variety of vehicles including cars, motorbikes and bicycles. Sidewalk surfing was often used in the early 1960s to describeskateboarding.[28])
Contemporary sidewalks are most often made ofconcrete in North America, whiletarmac,asphalt,brick,stone,slab and (increasingly)rubber are more common in Europe.[29] Different materials are more or less friendly environmentally:pumice-basedtrass, for example, when used as an extender is less energy-intensive than Portland cement concrete or petroleum-based materials such as asphalt or tar-penetration macadam. Multi-use paths alongside roads are sometimes made of materials that are softer than concrete, such as asphalt.
Some sidewalks may be built like a Meandering Sidewalk. The meandering sidewalk is the wavy sidewalk that veers back and forth at the side of the road, no matter how straight the street. These sidewalks are common in North America and are used to break up the monotonous alignments of city blocks.[citation needed]
In the 19th century and early 20th century,sidewalks of wood were common in some North American locations. They may still be found at historic beach locations and inconservation areas to protect the land beneath and around, calledboardwalks.[citation needed]
Brick sidewalks are found in some urban areas, usually for aesthetic purposes. Brick sidewalks are generally consolidated withbrick hammers, rollers, and sometimesmotorized vibrators.[citation needed]
Stone slabs calledflagstones orflags are sometimes used where an attractive appearance is required, as in historic town centers.[citation needed]
For example, inMelbourne,Australia,bluestone has been used to pave the sidewalks of the CBD since theGold rush in the 1850s because it proved to be stronger, more plentiful and easier to work than most other available materials.[citation needed]
Installation of crushed stone underlayment for drainage
Installation of paver blocks
Pre-cast concretepavers are used for sidewalks, often colored or textured to resemble stone. Sometimescobblestones are used, though they are generally considered too uneven for comfortable walking.
In the United States and Canada, the most common type of sidewalk consists of a poured concrete "ribbon", examples of which from as early as the 1860s can be found in good repair in San Francisco, and stamped with the name of the contractor and date of installation.[citation needed] WhenPortland cement was first imported to the United States in the 1880s, its principal use was in the construction of sidewalks.[30]
Today, most sidewalk ribbons are constructed with cross-lying strain-relief grooves placed or sawn at regular intervals, typically 5 feet (1.5 m) apart. This partitioning, an improvement over the continuous slab ribbon, was patented in 1924 by Arthur Wesley Hall and William Alexander McVay, who wished to minimize damage to the concrete from the effects of tectonic and temperature fluctuations, both of which can crack longer segments.[31] The technique is not perfect, as freeze-thaw cycles (in cold-winter regions) and tree root growth can eventually result in damage which requires repair.[citation needed]
In highly variable climates which undergo multiple freeze-thaw cycles, concrete blocks will be formed with separations, calledexpansion joints, to allow for thermal expansion without breakage. The use of expansion joints in sidewalks may not be necessary, as the concrete will shrink while setting.[32]
^"Highways Act 1980 – Interpretation Section 329".Archived from the original on 2011-02-06."footway" means a way comprised in a highway which also comprises a carriageway, being a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only
^"Parking on pavements". Lewisham Council.Archived from the original on 2010-10-04. Retrieved2010-10-29.Why is pavement parking a problem? Pavements are constructed and provided for pedestrian use. Vehicles parked on pavements are: a hazard to pedestrians causing an obstruction which may result in them having to step off the pavement onto the highway thus putting themselves in danger...
^Cassidy, Frederic Gomes, and Joan Houston Hall (eds). (2002)Dictionary of American Regional English. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
^abcAustroads Glossary of Terms(PDF) (2015 ed.). [Austroads]. 14 August 2015.ISBN978-1-925294-63-7.Archived from the original on 2025-03-17. Retrieved30 April 2025.bicycle path: A path or path section intended for the exclusive use of cyclists, generally referred to as an exclusive bicycle path. cycle path: see bicycle path footpath: A public way reserved for the movement of pedestrians, motorised wheelchairs and personal mobility devices. pavement: That portion of a road designed for the support of, and to form the running surface for, vehicular traffic. pedestrian: A person walking, and including people in wheelchairs, on roller skates or riding vehicles such as skate boards or other vehicles, other than a bicycle, powered by effort or a motor and with a maximum speed of 7 km/h. shared path: A paved area particularly designed (with appropriate dimensions, alignment and signing) for the movement of cyclists and pedestrians.
^"Walkway".Compact Oxford English Dictionary. Archived fromthe original on July 19, 2012.
^"Inclusive mobility". Department for Transport. Archived fromthe original on 2010-11-22. Retrieved2010-04-02.The distinction between a footway and a footpath is that a footway is the part of a highway adjacent to, or contiguous with, the roadway on which there is a public right of way on foot. A footpath is not adjacent to a public roadway. Where reference is made to one, it can generally be regarded as applying to the other for design purposes
^"Highways Act 1980 – Interpretation Section 329".Archived from the original on 2011-02-06."cycle track" means a way constituting or comprised in a highway, being a way over which the public have the following, but no other, rights of way, that is to say, a right of way on pedal cycles [F3 (other than pedal cycles which are motor vehicles within the meaning ofF4 the Road Traffic Act 1988 with or without a right of way on foot
^"Footpath design – principles". NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotachi.Archived from the original on 2025-04-24. Retrieved30 April 2025.Footpaths form the backbone of our walking networks. Footpaths may run alongside the road or through parks and other open spaces, and include overbridges and subways. Well located and designed footpaths encourage walking and ensure a more equitable transport network.
^"Georgian Colchester".British History.Archived from the original on 2011-12-28. Retrieved2010-04-05.Bad paving and obstructions were frequently reported to the justices under a paving Act of 1623, but the borough chamberlain, workhouse corporation, and parish officers failed to discharge their responsibilities and the small fines for neglect were ineffective. Enforcement of the Act by the borough justices ceased when the charter lapsed in 1741 and by 1750 the streets were so ruinous that a new Act was obtained, which perpetuated the responsibility of justices to enforce the regulations.
^John N. Ivan, Norman W. Garrick and Gilbert Hanson (November 2009).Designing Roads That Guide Drivers to Choose Safer Speeds. Connecticut Transportation Institute.
^"Do you take unnecessary risks behind the wheel?".Which? News. Which?. 2011-01-05.Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved2011-01-27.The town of Drachten removed most of its street furniture, signs and markings in 2003 and recorded a dramatic fall in accidents and traffic congestion as a result
^Lisa Aultman-Hall and Michael F. Adams, Jr. (1998). "Sidewalk Bicycling Safety Issues".Transportation Research Record (1636).
.jpg)
.jpg)
_near_Melarkey_Street_and_Nevada_State_Route_289_(Winnemucca_Boulevard)_in_Winnemucca%2c_Nevada.JPG)
.jpg)
