The legislation would require that all federally-funded transportation projects incorporate so called Complete Street Principles--the catch phrase for making sure streets take into account a variety of users, including pedestrians, bikers (Schwinn and Harley I presume), public transit, etc. There would be exceptions of course (no one is going to start requiring bike lanes on the interstate!).
The Complete Streets idea is great, and it isn't just for gentrifying cities. In fact, Adler points out that the bill's co-sponsors hail from Alaska and Hawaii--states not generally regarded as urban hotspots. Urban or not, these states still have lots of people who need to walk. Hawaii is a big retirement destination, and many elderly people can no longer drive. Likewise, suburban and rural kids still have to walk to school (or the nearest bus stop). Many walk on the shoulders of busy roads--trips that become more dangerous in winter when daylight comes after school starts and ploughed snow covers usual routes.
All of this got me thinking about my own neighborhood's walkability. In many ways my neighborhood is a study in contradictions. From my house I can walk to a grocery store, a pub, several sandwich shops, a bakery, a coffee shop, a vet, and even a palm reader (suburbanites worry about their future too I guess!). But, my journey to any of these places requires navigating a wide mix of walk environments.
The main streets in my neighborhood have sidewalks, but my side street does not. University Boulevard and Colesville Road also have sidewalks, but crossing either street is difficult. The crosswalks are few and far between, and crossing between them is a little like running with the bulls in Spain. You never know what sort of lumbering behemoth of an SUV will come charging your way--walk sign on or not.
So, what could make my neighborhood more walkable? Well, the first thing they could do is put in more sidewalks inside the residential parts of the neighborhood. I don't even think doing so would be that difficult. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here was that it looked like the lots were designed to have sidewalks out front. Most of the houses sit on terraces, with a gentle slope down to a flat space in front that looks tailor made for sidewalks. Here's a picture of one of these flat spaces. Under all that snow is grass, but the spacing of trees and stair rails suggest a sidewalk was supposed to go here at some point.
Here's another photo from my street. You can see the same gentle slope down to a sidewalk like area. Alas, no sidewalk, just grass (or in this case, snow on top of the grass).
Sidewalks would not only make the street 'cuter,' they would provide a place for people to walk their dogs, play with their kids, and hang out. And, best of all, the neighborhood wouldn't have to be retrofitted to put them in. The space is there, waiting for walkers like you and me!
