A frustrated pedestrian was shocked to discover Houston's poor sidewalk design.
As they walked through a neighborhood, the paved sidewalk suddenly ended. While the sidewalk's gap only lasted a few yards, it was covered in grass, making it potentially difficult to navigate.
The pedestrian could not fathom why the sidewalk was not continuous. For handicapped individuals especially, getting across this sidewalk would be especially challenging.
After sharing the images in Reddit's r/Houston forum, the post sparked a discussion on poor pedestrian design across America.
"Many parts of the Houston area don't have sidewalks at all. It's absolutely baffling at times," wrote one user. "I hate how inaccessible it is here."
"This is honestly an issue across America where property owners are responsible to build and maintain sidewalks," commented another Redditor.
Being a pedestrian in a car-centric city is not only frustrating but also dangerous. When cities lack the necessary infrastructure to support pedestrians, residents are forced to navigate high-traffic roads at their own risk.
Across the U.S., car-centric cities have become the norm. In fact, only 1.2% of the top 35 metropolitan neighborhoods in the U.S. are walkable, per a report by Smart Growth America.
Transitioning toward a pedestrian-centric city, however, has numerous benefits for both the community and the environment. Walkable cities create gathering areas for residents, supporting local businesses and community development.
When locals feel safe to choose alternative forms of transportation, such as biking or walking, they become more active, promoting their overall health and well-being. By becoming less car-dependent, residents can help reduce the production of harmful pollutants that warm the atmosphere.
Redditors continued to discuss the poor pedestrian infrastructure throughout the city of Houston.
"It sucks," wrote one user. "Moved here two years ago and it's easily the least pedestrian-friendly city I've ever visited."
"I have never lived anywhere or visited even a city that was so aggressively anti-pedestrian and bicycle as Houston," agreed another Redditor.
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