Make KC more inviting for walking

Ron McLinden of the Sierra Club has a great letter in the KCStar today:

If Kansas City is to move up in walkability, we need to make our streets more inviting for walking. Our streets should encourage walking as part of people’s daily lives rather than a separate activity that involves driving to a park.

We could start by acknowledging that streets are more than just vehicle travel lanes. Streets are public space for all, including people not riding in motor vehicles, and they must be safe to cross as well as walk along.

We’ll make progress when the region’s traffic engineers — and The Star — lose their auto-centric view of streets and the urban environment.