Sidewalk Infelicities, Exhibits 1-7

Today I’m starting a new project on this blog, and that’s collecting examples of what I’m calling “sidewalk infelicities.”

Crumbling sidewalks. Obstructed sidewalks. Unconnected, interrupted or otherwise incomplete sidewalks. Excessively narrow sidewalks. Unsafe sidewalks. Disrespected sidewalks. All of these are examples of what I consider “infelicities.”

The more general way of putting this is: Sidewalks should be continuous, well defined, unobstructed, safe and efficient in giving pedestrians access to places*—and anything that violates these criteria is an infelicity.

This is just the first batch of infelicities. More—many more, unfortunately—could follow, including some right outside my front door. 

If you know of any sidewalk infelicities in Athens, let me know. Send me a photo and a description of the location.


Exhibit 1: Northwest corner of Prince Ave. and Barber St.

Why isn’t this paved up to the crosswalk?

* * *

Exhibit 2: Southwest corner of Prince Ave. and Barber St.

Is the thinking that grass is more pleasant for pedestrians to stand on while they wait to cross the street?

* * *

Exhibit 3: Southwest corner of Prince Ave. and Finley St.

Even though this corner and Finley is actively used by pedestrians and is practically downtown, the West side of this block of Finley—from Prince Ave. to Meigs St.—lacks a sidewalk—and given where the street light pole and utility box are located—no one’s thinking about making room for a sidewalk.

* * *

Exhibit 4: Southwest corner of Meigs St. and Finley St.

Here, where a sidewalk resumes on the West side of Finley for a little while, it starts off already crowded with obstructions.

* * *

Exhibit 5: Northwest corner of Hancock Ave. and Finley St.

Right where you’d want to put a paved corner for pedestrians, two utility poles have staked their claim.

* * *

Exhibit 6: Southwest corner of Meigs St. and Newton Ave.

Why isn’t there a sidewalk here?

* * *

Exhibit 7:  Northeast corner of Meigs St. and Pope St.

A good start, maybe?

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*Adapted from “Criteria for Good Sidewalks,” in The Poetics of Cities: Designing Neighborhoods that Work by Mike Greenberg. 1995. Ohio State University Press.

Comments

[M. McAKenzie]

In some parts of Boulevard, there is no logical way to explain the crazy-quilt of sidewalk vs. no-sidewalk spaces.

Try walking east along Nantahala, starting at Hiawassee (just down from White Tiger). The sidewalks on both sides of the street start and stop repeatedly. Finally, after a last gasp on the south side just after Nacoochee, the sidewalks quit.

The city is filling in some no-sidewalk areas. The problem is, they apparently make their choices by throwing darts at a map.

The prime example: A brand new stretch of sidewalk on the east side of Hiawassee, beginning at Chatooga and running towards New Street.

This isn't exactly a pedestrian mecca: Hiawassee dead-ends at this point into the railroad tracks, and Chatooga is a winding little stub of a street that goes absolutely nowhere. I'm pretty sure that for the cost of that strip of useless pavement, the city could have paved both ends of that crosswalk at Prince and Barber.

Maybe this bugs me because I spent ten years in San Francisco. You walk in the street there, you die -- very simple, very easy. Folks in Athens just seem to assume that you're supposed to walk in the street. Unfortunately, I suspect that some of them meet up with moving cars.

[Kevan Williams]

There's an ordinance that new developments have to build sidewalks on their property if there aren't any, which explains some discontinuities. A good example is at Oglethorpe and Hawthorne. The new fire station and the old fire station both built new sidewalks, while the houses in between don't have any. It seems like the city is coming back and filling them in some places.

Ultimately it's a good program though, even if there are gaps for awhile.

[Matt Elliott]

The sidewalk on the north side of Prince abruptly ends in the middle of the block around Boulevard Heights, making foot travel hazardous for folks living on Sylvia Circle, Winfield Chase Apts., and points westward.

[Jeff Snowden]

Several of our streets are flooded over in Oconee Heights because no one will clean out the conduit under the driveways.

My street alone (McLeroy) has three places with several inches of standing water. Our storm water issues are not being addressed.

It has been this way for years.