Let's build more sidewalks

The thing about KC's poor walkability that always strikes me the most is that we have so many neighborhoods without sidewalks. The two big examples are the Waldo area and the older, north-central part of the Northland south of Vivian Road. The big reason they lack sidewalks is that most homes there were built before the areas were annexed into the city - they were built on unincorporated county land with few of the urban planning guidelines that govern development of incorporated areas. And this is just in KCMO, the problem is even worse in many of the suburbs.

The problem today is that sidewalks are the responsibilty of the property owner. If the original developer of the subdivision didn't build sidewalks, then the current homeowner has to pay for it. There are some ways to get city assistance, but the bulk of the responsibilty falls to the individual and their neighbors.

So, let's lobby our City Council members to make sidewalks a priority for city infrastructure spending. If we can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on projects like arenas, stadiums, bridges, fire stations, etc. then we can also spend a few million to make sure all parts of the city have basic sidewalk infrastructure in place. It's also something that the often opposing north and south halves can join together to support.