While Westport Massachusetts has many desired qualities that one would look for in a small town she is lacking one important thing, sidewalks. Every day when I drive down Main Road I notice the elderly woman with her walker hobbling along the narrow path of gravel and grass next to the road. Seeing this woman on her routine walk is inspiring as I can’t imagine it is easy for her. As I watch her it makes me wonder why I don’t see more people walking or running around town. It is, after all, a small town with beautiful picturesque scenery to take in. Throughout town there are a few nature paths to hike and explore but the lack of sidewalks makes the roads a treacherous and dangerous place to navigate for pedestrians. Sidewalks would be a great addition to this town. The implementation of sidewalks would inspire physical activity, help the environment and increase the revenue for both small businesses and property owners.
One of the leading health concerns in America is Obesity(Top 10 Most Common Health Issues). The addition of sidewalks would benefit many individuals from the young to the elderly by encouraging individuals to get out and walk more! Over 64% of the Westport population is 35 years of age and older(Westport). If you take into account that “65% of our nations adults are overweight or obese, and 10% of the population has type 2 diabetes, a preventable and ruinous disease that stems from inactivity and poor nutrition” Ratey (pg 4) the addition of sidewalks, which is a free form of activity, becomes difficult to argue. Aerobic training such as walking has been scientifically proven to improve numerous conditions including but not limited to obesity, coronary artery disease and hypertension (Coburn pg 151-153). It has also been documented to have mental health benefits as well. “It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play a pivotal role in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes” Ratey (pg 5).Regular aerobic activity can help to reduce anxiety and depression. It also helps to decrease responses to psychological stress and enhances cognitive effects (Coburn Pg 126). Walking more can also benefit the work place as those who are more fit are overall heathier, more productive and, satisfied with their work. These qualities make them less likely to “call out”(Implementing Pedestrian Improvements).
Along with the physical and mental benefits that sidewalks would bring to the community of Westport let’s not forget the environmental benefits it would bring. The encouragement of more pedestrian traffic would lead to less automotive transportation, and there-in reduce fossil fuel dependence. “Since the internal combustion engine continues to dominate automobile propulsion, cars dispense vast amounts of pollution in the form of air emissions, noise, used oil, and disposable parts.”-Melosi (The Automobile and the Environment). The automotive industry is dominated by the oil industry that in turn has undue influence over every aspect of modern life including politics and is certainly one of the greatest contributing factors to worldwide pollution. Statistics from the EPA confirm that “Most of the nitrogen oxides released in the U.S. due to human activity are from the burning of fossil fuels associated with transportation and industry”(The Sources and the Solutions). They also state that “Twenty-seven percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is from transportation. Transportation is the second leading source of GHG emissions in the United States, just behind electricity” (Carbon Pollution and Trasportation). As a means of solution to the pollution problem caused by transportation the EPA recommends carpooling along with walking when possible.
In a world full of Wal-Marts and Sam’s Clubs, local businesses need every advantage to remain competitive. Sidewalks provide an excellent opportunity in a place like Westport to help “level the playing field.” IN an affluent community like Westport, many would be more inclined to choose local, family owned businesses to purchase merchandise from rather than to travel to a corporate owned chain if provided an environment in which to stroll through and shop. “In debate about $800 million KCMO infrastructure bond, evidence shows sidewalks and bike lanes bring the biggest return on investment of public money.” (BikeWalkKC) Furthermore the addition of sidewalks has been shown to increase property value as more and more individuals seek out “walkable” communities(Small Town, Big Picture).
Many cities have taken on the project of becoming more Walkable with much success. The Mayor of Oklahoma City made the addition of sidewalks a priority after being dubbed “One of the Fattest cities in America”. Along with other healthy lifestyle implementations his movement was a huge success and the city collectively lost one million pounds(governing.com) Austin Texas is another successful city with their Walk! Texas Program which has also become a popular tool for prevention and management of chronic diseases. (Walk Friendly Communities). Other cities that have successfully become more “Walkable” include Charlotte NC, Houston TX, and Minneapolis MN(City of Austin). The addition of Sidewalks has proven to be a success in many cities across the US I have no doubt that the implementation of Sidewalks in Westport would be just as successful.
BikeWalkKC. “Sidewalks Mean Business.” BikeWalkKC, 9 Jan. 2017, bikewalkkc.org/blog/2017/01/sidewalks-mean-business/.
“Carbon Pollution from Transportation.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 17 July 2017, www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation.
“City of Austin Sidewalks Peer Cities Report.” http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=237459 2015.
Coburn, Jared W., and Moh H. Malek. NSCAs Essentials of Personal Training. Human Kinetics, 2012.
“Implementing Pedestrian Improvements at the Local Level.” Https://Safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/Docs/Localpedguide.pdf, 1998.
Ratey, John J., and Eric Hagerman. Spark: the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown, 2013.
Small Town, Big Picture, betseybuckheit.com/posts/the-cost-andor-value-of-sidewalks/.
“The Automobile and the Environment in American History by Martin V. Melosi.” Automobile In American Life and Society, www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Environment/E_Overview/E_Overview.htm.
“The Sources and Solutions: Fossil Fuels.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 10 Mar. 2017, www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels.
“The Walking Cure: How Oklahoma City Lost 1 Million Pounds.” Governing Magazine: State and Local Government News for America’s Leaders, Governing, www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-oklahoma-city-walking-obesity.html.
“Top 10 Most Common Health Issues.” Eastman Institute for Oral Health – University of Rochester Medical Center, www.urmc.rochester.edu/senior-health/common-issues/top-ten.aspx.
“Walk Friendly Communities Embrace Open Streets.” Walk Friendly Communities, 9 July 2018, walkfriendly.org/2018/07/09/open-streets/#more-1312.
“Westport.” Bridgeport, CT Demographics and Population Statistics – NeighborhoodScout, www.neighborhoodscout.com/ma/westport/demographics.