Houston's pedestrian tunnels are flooding, exposing flaws in the city's pedestrian infrastructure

The city has received over 4,000 complaints about inaccessible sidewalks this year.

1 minute read

June 17, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


A flooded pedestrian underpass in Houston, Texas.

A flooded pedestrian tunnel in Houston, Texas in 2019. | Flanker_ct / Shutterstock

Facing a lack of sidewalks in many parts of the city, Houston residents who walk are often forced to use pedestrian tunnels that are prone to flooding, reports Lileana Pearson for ABC 13. In a recent incident, a pedestrian tunnel flooded and became clogged with trash and debris.

Where sidewalks do exist, they're often inaccessible. "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."

Saturday, June 13, 2026 in ABC 13 News

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