Citizen Group Wins Wider Sidewalks, Narrower Residential Streets

A Columbia, Mo. grass-roots organization called the PedNet Coalition has 4,600 members -- and success in creating walking/biking trails as well as more pedestrian-friendly planning regulations, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. PedNet received a $200,000 grant and technical assistance from Active Living By Design. The program shows results.

Last year, residential street standards, in large part because of PedNet’s lobbying, were changed to require narrower roads and wider sidewalks. The idea is to slow traffic and make areas more pedestrian- and wheelchair-friendly.

It's not just about having sidewalks -- although that's important. It's about having sidewalks in an environment that makes it likely people will want to walk. And it's about having roads that are feasible to cross on foot without the frightening feeling that you are literally putting your life in jeopardy, such as when crossing Rte. 30 or Rte. 9 in Framingham. Once again, that doesn't mean getting rid of cars. It means designing for pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars.