Sidewalks being installed seems like an everyday occurrence, but hopefully it shows a shift in governmental policy.
Our town is a "bedroom community" for the Little Rock, Arkansas area. The road you see is Arkansas State Highway 5. As our town developed along this highway there were no sidewalks installed. The town has just started to develop on this side of the interstate in the last few years.
This is the only sidewalk along the highway. There is an elementary school where the sidewalk ends at the top of picture. To the left and also behind where I am standing is all now housing developments with young families.
There is no safe way for children to walk to school and the parents drive them. In the five years I have lived here I can count on one hand the number of children I have seen walking to school.
With gas prices at $4 and only going up in the future, maybe our city government has finally wised up to the fact that some people just can no longer afford to drive their children to school and maybe we can get back to "walking to school".
The sidewalks and cross walks will provide children (and their parents if they so choose) a safe path to school. A city police car is there mornings and afternoons. Hopefully there will be sidewalks added to the other side of the road as that is the side with the most homes.
It will not be a quick and easy transition but all it takes is a few parents and kids using it to start a trend. Our country is facing challenges and we all must step up to the plate.
1 comment:
The european directive for member countries is that by 2010 all schools have to have a cycle route from the main housing area to the schools. Not a bad idea really. I bet you walked to school the same as I did.
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