Residents and property owners on North Beach are calling for safer connectivity between both sides of the neighborhood, urging local and state transportation officials to consider adding sidewalks and bike paths.Currently, those living on the west side of North Beach must navigate busy frontage roads to reach the other side, often putting pedestrians, cyclists, and families in harms way. With the community amenities and construction of the new Harbor Bridge expected to bring even more traffic, community members said the need for better infrastructure is more urgent than ever. North Beach residents push for sidewalks, better neighborhood connectivityMayra Halm has lived in the Harbors Waterfront community for more than 20 years. In all the time her family has been in the area, Halm said safe sidewalks has always been the missing piece to the neighborhood.In January, she wrote a letter on behalf of the Harbors Homeowners Association to formally request the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization to be part of their micro-mobility plan for North Beach. A few weeks later, Halm also spoke with a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) District Engineer, Mike Walsh, to get consideration on the addition near the Harbor Bridge. With the Harbor Bridge coming in, there's going to be that Shared-Use Path. Then we have this whole linear canal coming in, where theyre going to have walkways on both sides and the Eco Park, with trails. All of that is where our residents can go and enjoy where we live, right? But we don't have any connectivity to any of that," Halm said. KRIS 6 News reached out to TxDOT in hopes to speak with Walsh. In response, TxDOT provided the written statement addressing a discussion Walsh had with NB residents on March 6, 2025. <i>Mr. Walsh added that anything TxDOT does within the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization boundary, federal funding within the MPO boundary is dictated by the Transportation Policy Committee based on the advice from the Technical Advisory Committee and MPO Staff. The importance of the TPC is deciding what projects are a priority for TxDOT and which of the cities projects are eligible for federal funding within the MPO boundary. </i>The TPC is the MPOs Transportation Policy Committee. On March 3, 2025, prior to the MPO meeting, Mr. Walsh explained to a member of the Harbors Homeowners Association the process for adding pedestrian infrastructure within the Corpus Christi District. <i>Most of the funding categories that are available to TxDOT when inside the MPOs boundary run through that governing body for project prioritization.  The fact that your group took the time to come and make public comment about the needs in your community helped raise awareness among the board members.  The other funding categories I have available are not as robust and are intended for maintenance and upkeep of the highway system.  It is from these funds we pay repairs to the roadway.  It is also out of these funds we have been paying to clean out the drainage system at the turn around and pump out the water when tides overtop the roadway.  The other funding sources we talked about are federal grant programs that are applied for by a sponsoring government entity like the City and they are chosen on a merit system.  Those funds are often administered by TxDOT.  You may have heard about the hike and bike project between Oso Preserve and Flour Bluff where the City got a grant to rebuild an old rail road bridge and turn it into a trail.  That is just one example.  </i>Halm said she also reached out to Mayor Paulette Guajardo and District 1 Councilman Everett Roy to express her concerns for safety."Even if we wanted to enjoy the beach, there isn't a safe way for us to walk over there," Halm added. "Some of us have to walk along the road, as you can see some of the cars coming by, and even on the frontage road down the way."The concern is even greater for families with young children in the area. However, Halm isnt alone in her concerns. Local business owners, including Lynn Frazier, owner of Lighthouse Pointe Apartments, also support the push for improved accessibility.It would be a whole lot safer if we had the sidewalks, Frazier said. Then theres so many other things over herethis RV Park and these other condos. That would make us a real nice walkway.These photos are diagrams of existing and proposed accessibility, provided by the North Beach Community Association: On Monday, March 16, several TxDOT workers were in the area. According to one crew member, they were surveying the land for future projects. Halm and Fraizer are hoping the future projects have their concerns at the top of the list. KRIS 6 News reached out to the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to get details on how they plan to help North Beach residents. A spokesperson said their team is currently in the process of an Active Transportation Plan, meant to present a shared vision for the development of a safe and highly functional network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and amenities within the region. The plan also includes a data-driven perspective for North Beach residents. At this time, Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization and TxDOT have not approved any plans for sidewalks or access paths for the area.Halm and other residents said they will continue asking questions to city and state leaders in hopes of increasing safety and connectivity in their neighborhood. For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today! ...read more read less