If the city is really serious about promoting pedestrian movement, there have to be decent and attractive sidewalks to move along. Providing feeble excuses for a sidewalk system; providing deteriorated, unpleasant concrete curb extensions, does not a sidewalk system make.

In the photo above, the sidewalk only appears to be sacrificed for a utility pole and driveway … but in reality, the squeeze was caused by adding in another lane on the adjacent street. The car lane does not get narrowed.

The above location is too narrow for the sidewalk plow in winter. It goes around, on the street, leaving a packed snow & ice ridge on each side of the pole. Fit pedestrians might be able to scramble up and down the ice banks, but what do people pushing strollers do? Or someone in a wheelchair?

Here’s another example. A bit of extra sidewalk has been installed to the left to make up for the obstruction. Who can fit between the newspaper boxes and the fire hydrant (err, sorry, street furniture)?

BUT, never worry, the City is actually proposing to do something to this bit of sidewalk. It is slated for reconstruction in the next two years. Will we see a better sidewalk? Well, actually we might not. Their current proposal is to widen the road by two feet and to reduce the sidewalk width according.

Oh, in case you haven’t guessed, this is on Bronson Avenue.