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From: John Holtzclaw <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      pednet: Odds & Ends
To: [log in to unmask]

Forwarded from the pednet listserv by John Holtzclaw
----------------------------------------------------------
This message sent to pednet by "Mighk Wilson" <[log in to unmask]>.

Suburban Hysteria:

I chair the School Safety Advisory Committee (SSAC) for Seminole County.  A
few days back I received a call from a parent regarding the installation of
a sidewalk in her neighborhood.  Seminole, experiencing explosive growth
over the past decade, neglected to require sidewalk installation with new
development, I guess because they forgot that kids can walk to school even
in the suburbs.  The State of Florida will pay for busing of students only
if they live more than two miles from school or if their path includes
hazardous walking conditions.  These hazardous conditions are defined by
statute and do not necessarily include lack of sidewalks.

The road this parent was concerned about was the number one priority of the
SSAC as it met the hazardous walking criteria and served a high school,
middle school and elementary school.  You'd think the parent would be happy
to hear that this road would be getting a sidewalk, right?  Nope.  She
feared for her child's safety because there were holes in the subdivision
walls along this road where motorists had run off the roadway.

I tried to use some logic on her:  the wall is there 24 hours a day, 365
days a year, a child would be in the place where the car hit the wall for
only a matter of seconds each day, and it's much more likely that those
crashes occurred late at night when the drunks are out in force.  To no
avail.  She's convinced this sidewalk will be unsafe.

I can't quite explain it.  But I think James Kunstler may have the answer.
Check out the paper he presented to the Congress on New Urbanism, "Where
Evil Dwells," on his Web site -- http://www.kunstler.com/spch_milw.html

Phillip Langdon quoted someone (or maybe he said it himself):  "Suburbs are
a device for making people stupid."

And for all you U.S. citizens out there, have a nice 4th of July weekend.

Mighk Wilson
Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator
METROPLAN ORLANDO

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