Since we all walk in the city – no matter what our primary means of transportation – you might think that walkers would be a top priority for the Public Works efforts. Clearly we are not.
Here's a snowbank-blocked crosswalk in Kenmore Square. This was taken on Monday. I think the city has had time to clear it since the last snowfall. But, it seems to have been there for a few storms. What's more, it is in front of a building that houses seniors.
Meanwhile, earlier on Monday, street sweepers were working hard a couple of blocks away to clear every speck of sand from the bike lanes surrounding the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. That shows what the City of Boston deems important.
Here's some recommended reading for those, like me, who think there is something wrong with this picture.
From one of the city's smart bloggers, The Walking Bostonian, Getting Our Priorties Straight.
And, for your book list, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
When I read this book, I learned in detail how many of the bad decisions made in Boston's effort to make bikes a prioity hurt my pedestrian experience.
I knew I was no longer comfortable walking on Mass Ave after the bike lanes were installed but didn't realize that any comprehensive urban planner should have known I would feel this way. Parked cars offer walkers a barrier and sense of security.
I wonder how avoiding these sidewalks, now unprotected from high speed traffic, will impact Mass Ave businesses? What about other places that walkers will instictively avoid?
Do you walk around the city? Do you think walking is the top priority for city planners? What are your pet peeves as a pedestrian?
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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Ed Cherubino
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