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FEBRUARY 2003

Sidewalks are coveted ribbons of concrete which bestow many blessings.  Here are just a few reasons why I've fought so hard for sidewalks in our neighborhood, and why I hope you'll help the civic association push for more:

Nothing gets our attention faster than crime, and few things discourage crime as effectively as sidewalks.  Surprised?  Urban planners have known this for years.  According to a recent study by Ga. Tech., "Crime decreases with sidewalks and bicycle trails because recreational traffic and greater access to areas by police make residences less vulnerable."

What does "recreational traffic" mean?  It's the neighbors and friends who walk in front of your home, visiting and strolling, and giving life to the streets.  Criminals hate local foot traffic; they prefer to strike silent, isolated homes where they can hide. Sidewalks encourage people to look out for one another.

Police access is the other crucial safety element provided by sidewalks, particularly if police bike or walk by your house.  Foot patrols are impractical here, but police on bikes are a great second choice. There are 30 bike officers in Atlanta.  When they patrol on sidewalks, the officers come close to your home and can see both the back and front.  In cars, police pass too swiftly and are isolated from residents; a bicycle patrol is more personal, and personally concerned.
According to an article in the Atlanta Journal, "There is a 44% drop in crime in an area patrolled by cycling cops."

Other cities where sidewalks allow police to patrol on bikes also report crime decreases. 

The Wall Street Journal says: "From Connecticut to California, law-enforcement agencies are finding that bikes on sidewalks or trails…are an effective and inexpensive way to supplement strapped police budgets, cover more ground, and reach places police cars can't touch."  In Dallas, there was a 51% decrease in robberies in areas where police on bikes started patrolling sidewalks. Drug dealers and vandals were chased away, and there is now better supervision of children and teens.  Although crime drops in sidewalk neighborhoods even without bicycle police, we might consider asking for our own "bike cops."  It costs $25,000 to equip one squad car but only $1300 to fully equip a bike officer.  Quite a bargain!

Sidewalks also have a tremendous effect on your personal safety during travel. Obviously, you and your children are far safer when you don't have to compete with cars for a place to walk, jog, stroll, bicycle, or play.  But even when you're not on them sidewalks keep you safer, because they actually slow traffic by themselves.  Atlanta traffic engineers report that drivers decrease speed when they see people on sidewalks because the driver realizes This is a neighborhood!  The engineers also say that drivers slow down when streets are made narrower by sidewalks, trails, and landscaped medians.  Residential areas benefit from anything that makes a street look less like a highway, and sidewalks fit the bill.

Add safety and cost, and you can see that sidewalks are crucial. We need many more.  In future issues of this newsletter, I'll go into pollution control, economics and other reasons why building sidewalks in Atlanta should take top priority.