It's not comfortable, convenient, or safe to walk in many U.S. cities.
In a viral video, TikToker Not Just Bikes (@notjustbikes) shared his experience attempting to be a pedestrian in suburban Houston.
@notjustbikes Houston, we have a problem… with your urban planning. #citydesign #publictransportation #notjustbikes #walkability #houstonwehaveaproblem #urbanplanning ♬ original sound - Not Just Bikes
He shows scenes of litter-ridden, patchy grass where people must trample through on foot if they don't have a car to get to work. The area is lined with businesses staffed by minimum-wage workers.
"In a place like this, if you're too poor to drive a car, then you're literally forgotten about," said the original poster.
As an example of a better alternative, the TikToker shows a roadway in Amsterdam with a sidewalk and a two-way bicycle path on both sides of the road. He also shows an example of a middle-of-nowhere industrial park in the Netherlands with a beautiful two-way cycling path next to the two-lane roadway.
"There's no excuse for this. If you have enough room for seven lanes of car traffic, then you have enough room for a sidewalk or a bicycle path," he says in the video.
North America has consistently lagged behind many other parts of the world by failing to design and implement pedestrian and cycling infrastructure outside downtown areas. Paths that are built are often underdeveloped to the point of being dangerous and viewed as too unsafe for travel.
However, walking and biking are much better for the environment than gas-guzzling cars and help cities improve air quality by limiting pollution levels. Other alternative modes of transportation, like e-scooters and e-bikes, have also proved to decrease traffic congestion and carbon pollution in urban areas.
"Whenever I cross the border into the U.S., I can't believe how difficult it is to walk anywhere. I don't drive, so I always notice," one TikTok user commented.
Another user wrote: "Houston is way too busy with their unfinished highways that it's taken decades to build sidewalks."
"This is a major issue outside of cities as well. Rural places never have anywhere for pedestrians to walk safely other than the grass," chimed in another TikToker.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
