Neighbors and Rice work together to improve accessibility, appearance of city spaces

Neighbors and Rice work together to improve accessibility, appearance of city spaces

BY JESSICA JOHNS POOL
Rice News Staff

A Rice neighbor, David Smith, recently provided a thoughtful gift to make the public sidewalks ringing campus more accessible to all.

Noticing that bikers, people with strollers, joggers and even university carts had to jump the curbs along University Boulevard, Smith approached Rice about making a donation to install curb cuts, the ramps that make it easy for wheeled devices to move between one level and another.

Smith, like most people, assumed that the soft, gravel sidewalks and trees ringing campus belong to Rice. Actually, Rice’s ownership ends inside the soft sidewalks. The sidewalk and remaining right-of-way is owned by the City of Houston and has been maintained by Rice for years, said Max Amery, project manager for facilities engineering and planning.

As part of the university’s long-standing arrangement with the city, Rice engineers took Smith’s idea and approached the city about installing the curb cuts. After getting permission, Rice performed the work on the city’s behalf, just as it did years ago when Rice extended and completed the crushed granite sidewalk so that it would completely loop the campus perimeter.

The 14 new curb cuts were placed between Entrance 8 on University Boulevard to the northwest corner of campus closest to Rice Village.

“Mr. Smith’s gift will increase the enjoyment of that beautiful tree-lined walk for many, many people in the Rice community and surrounding neighborhood,” said University Relations Senior Director Greg Marshall. “We owe him a debt of gratitude: Seeing a need and stepping up to fill it is highly commendable and something we should all emulate.”

Learn more about construction projects on campus.