A Serious Look at Austin's Sidewalk System (insurance, construction)

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Atxroads

Should we get off your lawn too?

Jeebus.

Given that we walked along the stretch of lawn beside the street where there was a lawn, and no one had an issue with it, not hardly!

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Atxroads

Should we get off your lawn too?

Jeebus.

I think she's saying just the opposite. That sidewalks aren't required everywhere - that walking in people's lawns has been done for years.

No sidewalks on my side of the street. You're more than welcome to walk in my lawn.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by Novacek

That's a possibility if the RoW (even if unpaved) is accessible. And doesn't have a bunch of cactuses planted in it. And doesn't have a bunch of parked cars in the driveway blocking it (admittedly also a problem sometimes with sidewalks).

Or trees completely blocking them!

[Komeht]

With limited resources, Austin should deploy then in the way that makes the best sense. Improve the areas that will benefit the most from having a good walkable network of walkable streets that people will actually use, generally those areas are the pre-war centrally located neighborhoods. These are the places that return the most to the city in taxes as well so it makes sense to reinvest resources there.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by scm53

I think she's saying just the opposite. That sidewalks aren't required everywhere - that walking in people's lawns has been done for years.

No sidewalks on my side of the street. You're more than welcome to walk in my lawn.

This brings up a good question. Isn't there a public easement so many (8 or 10?) feet from the curb even with no sidewalk present?

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

This brings up a good question. Isn't there a public easement so many (8 or 10?) feet from the curb even with no sidewalk present?

Yes, there usually (always?) is.

[Novacek]

The chronicle article seems to have neglected to include a link to the actual master plan (or at least I didn't see it):

http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...aster_Plan.pdf

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

Right, but the actual fact is that Hyde Park's sidewalks are terrible. There are a few decent main ones but just walking up and down Avenues its often better to simply walk in the road.

Read the article three times, I found no claim that there Hyde Park has excellent sidewalks.

It does have a fairly intact grid unlike the vast majority of Austin - which is exactly what the article claims.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Komeht

Read the article three times, I found no claim that there Hyde Park has excellent sidewalks.

It does have a fairly intact grid unlike the vast majority of Austin - which is exactly what the article claims.

Intact might be the wrong term here. Who cares about a 'grid' if the actual sidewalks are crumbling

[Spacepup]

Originally Posted by Novacek

That's a possibility if the RoW (even if unpaved) is accessible. And doesn't have a bunch of cactuses planted in it. And doesn't have a bunch of parked cars in the driveway blocking it (admittedly also a problem sometimes with sidewalks).

This is also part of the reason why sidewalks don't happen. The most vocal (and politically active) people in our neighborhood flip out when Austin Energy comes through and trims trees in the easement so that the lights stay on in a light breeze and people don't get electrocuted. The city coming through and actually paving over their little strip for other people would be something to watch that's for sure, preferably from a long way away and with a telescope.

As someone who likes to go for walks, even in the 100+ degree summers we have here, I am 100% pro sidewalks. They should be on every single street, even ones where you'd think there is no reason because as the article points out a lot of the problem is the non-sidewalked streets breaking up the islands of good sidewalks.

A street nearby me has sidewalks and mine doesn't. Guess which one families take their kids and pets for walks on. Guess which street gets loads of trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Guess which street feels more like a welcoming neighborhood. Not bad for a 5ft wide concrete strip laid down in the early 70s.