Where are the sidewalks? (York, Easton: houses, neighborhood, subdivision)

[Sassygirl18]

One interesting thing I've noticed in investigating PA towns to relocate to from NJ is that many towns lack sidewalks. Why is this?

So if you want to take a walk, I guess you walk in the street?

[wowbaby]

funny you shoud bring this up! i was just talking to my husband about this the other day. i miss sidewalks. it seems that the developments these days dont have any. i live in an older neighborhood and i dont even have them.

i grew up in a town with sidewalks. i was able to roller skate, ride bike, take walks alone at a relatively young age b/c i didnt have to do it all in the road.

i wish my daughter would have the chance to grow up with sidewalks such a little thing really, but i do miss them!

[Tone509]

Growing up in Abington, my particular street didn't have sidewalks but many others did. I believe it was balanced in my neighborhood out by four-way stop signs being present at almost every intersection that didn't have a light. So cars would have a hard time getting up to more than 15-20 MPH and would at least come to a rolling stop. Of course, the main streets - like Easton Road and Old York Road - had plenty of sidewalks.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by Sassygirl18

One interesting thing I've noticed in investigating PA towns to relocate to from NJ is that many towns lack sidewalks. Why is this?

So if you want to take a walk, I guess you walk in the street?

As a general rule, places that could be classified as "towns" have sidewalks. Places that are more like suburban developments built in the 60's, 70's, and 80's are probably less likely to have sidewalks. Depending on where you like these same development may lack other modern amenities such as street lighting.

Don't make blanket comparisons between PA and NJ because my wife's sister's house in NJ does not have sidewalks.

[toobusytoday]

My folks neighborhood in South Jersey also does not have sidewalks. We don't have sidewalks in my Lehigh Valley neighborhood, but a couple of the brand new developments do. I wish the township would have made that a requirement for builders, but I'm sure the added expense is quite a bit. In our area the bigger roads often have ditches along the side and the roads are pretty narrow. I never like it when I encounter a pedestrian and opposing traffic at the same time.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by Sassygirl18

So if you want to take a walk, I guess you walk in the street?

Yes. That's what we did when I walked around my friends' houses, or for the busier streets just walk on the edge of the neighbor's lawns. Busier roads tend to have sidewalks, but not all.

[Sassygirl18]

Where are these NJ towns with no sidewalks? Maybe in rural areas? I've lived in NJ my entire life and have never seen a town without sidewalks!

[ScranBarre]

My suburb doesn't have sidewalks either. I run IN a busy four-lane commuter belt adjacent to my subdivision and have had MANY close-calls with soccer moms on cell phones in Ranger Rovers. Anyone know why suburbs in PA are so ill-disposed towards building sidewalks when they approve new development? It's disgusting. I can't wait until I move away, as my new destination values and appreciates the pedestrian!

[toobusytoday]

My parents live in Bridgeton, NJ. Their house is about 40 or 50 years old. They are not right in the downtown area but I guess an older development with several streets.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Anyone know why suburbs in PA are so ill-disposed towards building sidewalks when they approve new development? It's disgusting.

My guess is that it's due to the general lack of planning and intelligence that is rampant in local PA zoning rules.