Your Turn: The Case for Sidewalks

Sidewalks and bike lanes represent a major investment by the developers and citizens of Starkville and are an important part of a balanced transportation system. The following is a brief discussion of five reasons the previous Board of Aldermen passed the sidewalk ordinance and this Board of Aldermen should continue to support its design.

Property Values
More than just a pleasant amenity, the walkability of cities translates directly into increases in home values. Homes located in more walkable neighborhoods—those with a mix of common daily shopping and social destinations within a short distance—command a price premium over otherwise similar homes in less walkable areas. Houses with the above-average levels of walkability command a premium of about $4,000 to $34,000 (4 percent to 15 percent) over houses with just average levels of walking access. Another way to say this is more people want to live in places where they can at least choose to walk and will pay a premium for it. Livability is about having options.

Economic Development
In a growing number of communities, bicycling and walking are considered as indicators of a community’s livability, a factor that has a profound impact on attracting businesses and workers as well as tourism. In cities and towns where people can regularly be seen out bicycling and walking, there is a palpable sense that these are safe and friendly places to live and visit. Wide sidewalks in business communities offer an opportunity for trees, landscaping and other amenities that create an inviting place for customers to shop and do business. When safe facilities are provided for pedestrians and bicyclists, more people are able to be productive, active members of society and businesses can load and unload goods more easily.

In Oktibbeha County, 28% of residents live below the poverty level. 62% of these residents live within the Starkville city limits. Data show the people in need of transportation in this area are primarily persons with handicaps, the elderly, and persons with low income needing to travel to Starkville for work or errands. Ability Works—a major employer in the Starkville Industrial Park that trains disadvantaged persons for future employment—noted that several individuals who have left their program cannot find work because of transportation problems and over 1/3 of their employees do not own cars. It is significant to note that every major employment center reports having at least a handful of employees who are currently getting to work without personal vehicles. Starkville is failing many of its citizens who least can afford it. Livability is about having options, like an option to get to work.

Safety
Pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 – 14. Motor vehicle crashes account for approximately 80 percent of all childhood pedestrian deaths. Sidewalks separate pedestrians from motorist; Sidewalks not only provide physical safety to pedestrians, but they provide security to the neighborhood. Police officers will tell you that as people begin to walk the neighborhood they act as a deterrent to crime. Walkers are the eyes and ears of a neighborhood. Livability is about having options, like the option for children to not play in the street, like the option to meet neighbors and build community.

Quality of Life
Transportation decisions can have significant equity impacts. In an auto-dependent culture, where the majority of the transportation infrastructure is devoted to people in cars, the people who cannot drive are unable to get around adequately. Such people are often unable to access jobs, schools, and shopping areas. Children, the handicapped, the elderly, and the poor are particularly affected. According to the Consumer Expenditure Survey, households in the lowest income bracket spend 39 %t of their income on transportation, most of it on vehicles. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, over half of Oktibbeha County residents who are likely to feel the strain of forced automobile ownership are Starkville residents. The highest concentrations of these residents live in the central part of the city.

Adequate mobility is essential for people to participate in society as citizens, employees, consumers and community members. It affects people’s ability to obtain education, employment, medical service and other critical goods. Automobile-dependent development is discriminatory against those members of society who cannot drive or cannot afford to own a car: the elderly, children, and the poor.
Sidewalks in rural areas give children a place to walk to the school bus or to a friend’s home and for healthy, daily physical activity. A good system of sidewalks may allow older pedestrians who no longer drive to walk to services and socialize in their community, while offering a continued independent lifestyle. Sidewalks allow parents to stroll their babies and pet owners can enjoy an evening walk with their dog without having to dodge cars. Livability is about having options, everyone having options.

Health
The public health benefits of simple activities like walking and bicycling are well documented. Regular exercise combats obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and has also been shown in some people to combat some forms of depression. It can also lower health care costs by keeping people healthy. Diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure are obesity related chronic illnesses that lead to seven of ten deaths in the United States and 75 percent of our national health care costs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared an obesity epidemic among adults and children, noting that creating bikeable and walkable communities are an important first step in combating obesity. Since 1981 when the CDC began keeping records on obesity, MS has had the highest level of obesity in the nation (currently 34.4%). Oktibbeha registered 32.8% in adult obesity.

Health experts agree that walking is one of the simplest and most effective forms of exercise and can be done by most people. Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour is sponsoring Let’s Go Walking, Mississippi. First Lady Michelle Obama joins her in this call. One of the top priorities of Mrs. Obama is the Let’s Move! campaign, where she has the goal to end childhood obesity within a generation, so children who are born today grow up at a healthy weight. Currently, 44% (47% Male and 42% Female) of MS teens are overweight. Providing the requisite infrastructure so citizens of all ages can go walking and get moving is a governmental responsibility. Livability is about having options, like the option to not have heart disease.

The health, safety, environmental, and economic benefits make the installation of sidewalks and the current sidewalk ordinance worthy of communitywide support. Starkville is a small town with very few sidewalks. We must start somewhere. Most new sidewalks will labeled sidewalks to nowhere today but not tomorrow. The best way to eliminate sidewalks to nowhere is to build more sidewalks – not less.

Dr. Bethany Stich
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Mississippi State University