Benefits - and Costs - of Sidewalks
By:
NWHF Staff
| Posted on: July 9th, 2008
| Share: 
Categories:
Public Health
In an October 2007 survey, 75% of Americans polled said that improving public transportation and building communities that don’t require as much driving were better long-term solutions for reducing traffic than building new roads.
But as the Oregonian reported on July 7, 2008, a plan to pay for sidewalks and other improvements on three busy Southwest Portland streets may fizzle now that homeowners have learned that they’d be on the hook for as much as $42 a month for 20 years to pay for the improvements. The rate would drop 15 percent for every eighth mile farther from Hamilton Street, dropping to $23 a month for those farthest away.
As with so many well-intentioned issues, the rubber meets the road when the price tag comes in. While many agree that we all need to change the rubber — from car tires to bikes and sneakers, we often disagree about how much we’re willing to pay.
If Portland factors not only the environmental impact, but the health impact of this issue, including the long term health impact of residents decades into the future, would the City be more likely to go out of its way to make this proposal work?
Next entry: 
Previous entry: 
Back to main
