Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire
I take your point. But what I was getting at was the fact that since so much of Portage's sidewalks are squandered on random junk and are unwalkable anyway, then why not find a way to put that space to better use as a cycling lane?
Look at this stretch of Portage near Portage Place... the sidewalk is probably pushing 15 feet wide but I doubt even half of it is clear for actual walking. The other half has planters and other stuff in the way.
https://goo.gl/maps/jAS3QrXLNXuszP8g7
Even if you turned half of that ROW into cycling lanes, you wouldn't lose any of the actual walking path that exists today. |
Sidewalks are for way more than just walking, though. They're not just little pedestrian roads, they're where all the human street life takes place. I think the sidewalks on Portage downtown work quite well in that regard. There's a clear path through for walkers, and the area with planters etc. is great for people to stand around and chat, eat, busk, (preach, panhandle), whatever else.
Outside of downtown I'd agree that some of the sidewalk width on Portage could be sacrificed for a bike lane. I don't see it working in the Main to Colony stretch though. The interactions at bus stops alone would be too much of a nightmare -- those sidewalks get very full in rush hour.