Austin residents and area stakeholders will have the opportunity June 16 to weigh in on an ordinance to update the city's Sidewalk Master Plan. Austin City Council set the public hearing during its June 9 meeting. The updated master plan seeks to encourage walking as a transportation mode, improve pedestrian safety and the ability to walk to and from transit stops. This would align the plan with the goals set forward by the city's comprehensive plan Imagine Austin, according to city documents. The plan also seeks to help control air pollution and traffic congestion, improve quality of life, provide mechanisms to help prioritize city sidewalk repair and construction, and better conform to standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Annually the city spends between $9 million and $10 million on sidewalk construction and maintenance, but John Eastman, a project manager in the Sidewalk and Special Projects Division of the Public Works Department, said current recommendations are spending between $40 million and $50 million per year on new construction and $15 million a year on maintenance. About 80 percent of existing sidewalks in Austin are deemed functionally deficient, he said. The city should replace 32 miles of sidewalks each year, but currently maintenance is budgeted at $250,000 annually, he said. The 2016 Sidewalk Master Plan/ADA Transition Plan under consideration is available online at www.austintexas.gov/department/pedestrian-program. Additional reporting by Kelli Weldon