I drive on Cascade Road, located in southwest Atlanta every morning to take our boys to school. It never fails that there is someone walking along the busy street and tiptoeing on the edge of the road and grass, trying not to step to close in the road and get slammed by a moving vehicle.
An article written by Stephanie Ramage a couple of years ago, "Sidewalks, not Streetcars," indicated that "much of Atlanta remains without sidewalks, and many of those that exist are in dangerous disrepair." Some of the city's busiest streets don't have adequate sidewalks only giving pedestrians an option to walk on the road.
A few years ago a young girl was killed in a hit and run accident in southwest Atlanta, due to the street not having a sidewalk. I've walked our boys on southwest Atlanta streets with inadequate sidewalks before, and my heart raced trying to protect them and myself from oncoming vehicles.
According to Answer.com, "5,600 pedestrians are killed every year and 80,000 are injured each year. 50% of deaths occurred when pedestrians crossed or entered at or between intersections and over one half are under the age of 15."
A change has to be made to repair inadequate sidewalks in our city. The Pedestrian Advocacy Group (PEDS) is a nonprofit, member-based advocacy organization dedicated to making Metro-Atlanta safe and accessible for all pedestrians. Visit their site and learn more about how you can help making Atlanta a better place to live.
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