Healthy sidewalks connect neighbors.
1 in 6 Texas accident deaths are pedestrians — 808 in 2023. Sidewalks safely connect walking pedestrians. Yet gaps exist. Budget for some sidewalks each year. Set the direction.
Jack Browne — February 9, 2025
Two years ago, I made healthier lifestyle choices of diet and exercise. My doctor is happy as I not only lost weight but keep it off now. I walk a total of two hours throughout each day, covering about six miles.
To keep things interesting, I vary streets and neighborhoods included in any one day’s walking routes. About 20% of the distance, randomly spread through routes, there are no sidewalks.
I find the lack of sidewalks forces pedestrian traffic into the unlevel edge of the paved street — already shared by bicycles and vehicles parked in the street. Everyone is in a hurry, multitasking as they speed to their destination.
I walk into traffic, waiting for the oncoming car to acknowledge that I am on the road. This can be the most stressful part of my day.
In Texas, pedestrian deaths account for 1 in 6 traffic fatalities. In addition, 808 pedestrians died in 2023, marking the third year in a row with more than 800 pedestrian deaths.
And yet I find myself most relaxed when walking on a sidewalk. As noted above the other 20% is my most stressful part of the day.
What about our children, trying to get to walk to school or the nearby park, or even just to their local school bus stop? Will they pay attention at the key times?
Why must others, child or adult, walk in the street? There is no budget.
Yet the city code requires sidewalks as the developer transfers new subdivision streets to the city -- unless exempted. Another exception is allowed if most other lots don’t have sidewalks. Circular reasoning helps me understand the sidewalk gaps throughout our community and “How we got here.”
I’m asking our mayor and City Council to consider starting somewhere with a sidewalk plan for community. The city’s long range planning period is starting.
As the city opens the next budget cycle, the first step is to get on the list of considered ideas. Then it's a matter of cost, benefit and priority.
If it is easier to walk about, the we WILL walk about. Then we SEE each other, and become connected with our neighbors.
Imagine a city plan and budget to add X miles of sidewalk, where X is more than zero! That’s our town!
Published Wichita Falls Times Record News, Trends Section, Sunday February 9, 2025.
Jack Browne is a community activist and technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola, MIPS Technologies and other companies. How are the children doing?