Jakes and Patterson Street Sidewalk Improvements

Citizens of Tallahassee have consistently expressed a strong desire for local government to provide improved pedestrian connectivity throughout our community. To help achieve that goal, the City Commission has placed a high priority on allocating funding to these much-needed projects. As a result, the City of Tallahassee is excited to report that it is funding the design and construction of sidewalk improvements on Jakes and Patterson Street.

The Jakes and Patterson Street Sidewalk Improvement Project will provide sidewalks along the north side of Jakes and Patterson Street, from South Bronough Street to South Adams Street, creating safe pedestrian access. The sidewalk is being placed on the north side of the roadway due to the available right-of-way.

City Public Infrastructure Engineering staff have completed the design and developed the construction plans for the sidewalk. Because of the amount of right-of-way available for the project, the proposed sidewalk will be 6 feet wide and adjacent to the existing curb for the majority of the corridor. In some areas, however, it may be necessary to move the sidewalk away from the curb. The sidewalk will maintain its 6-foot width in these areas unless constrained by available right-of-way or existing features. The project includes the planting of street trees where there is adequate right-of-way.

Recently, a historical marker honoring Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson was installed near the beginning of the sidewalk project near South Bronough Street. The sidewalk in this area will be designed around the area of the existing historical marker, which will ultimately enhance the area and allow greater access to both sides of the marker.

The project was advertised for bidding in August and the contractor has been selected and is under contract to begin work on October 4, 2021. The roadway will remain open throughout the project duration however, there will be daily lane closures to allow for construction of the improvements.

For these types of projects, ensuring that residents are informed and can provide input is an important part of the process. If you have questions or feedback about this project, please contact Program Engineer Randy Lane at 850-891-2857 or randy.lane@talgov.com.