The OKC Gazette has a great article this week about the "walkability" of Oklahoma City, or the unwalkability some would say. I thought the topic was a good one for us to discuss.
How much do you rely on your own two feet for transportation? Do you have any horror stories about trying to cross NW Expressway sans wheels? What do you think our city could do to encourage more walking? Join the discussion with your thoughts and passions on getting around the oldest of ways.
When I first moved to OKC in the mid 80's, a buddy of mine was visiting from NY and he kept saying to me, "there is something missing here". After a couple more days he said, "you have no sidewalks".
Now Mr. Mayor Cornett told Ellen they are building miles and miles of sidewalks in OKC, but he failed to tell her that they were to benefit MAPs, once again, and not in the neighborhoods where people can actually use them. You have to drive to where the sidewalks are to actually use them. Kind of like a bridge to nowhere.
Posted by: ron ferrell | September 09, 2008 at 02:02 PM
That's a good distinction, Ron, that I don't think the article touches on, contrasting commercially intended sidewalks to residential. I wonder if there is any relationship between the presence of sidewalks in a neighborhood and property values. That might encourage individual communities to invest in themselves by raising money for such projects outside the typical tax stream.
Posted by: cheek | September 09, 2008 at 04:53 PM
who pays for and maintains sidewalks is a great question -- a good one to ask our city planners who could probably educate us in the finer points. in the older OKC neighborhoods we have sidewalks and boy, are they ever used!
we also need good bike lanes on all major streets and education for drivers of vehicles on how share the road with pedestrians and bikers.
Posted by: ThinkLady | September 10, 2008 at 02:31 PM