As the Lorax does for the trees, I come to speak for the sidewalks.

Understand that I have spent the last few months giving myself a crash course on civics as it applies to this borough and state. So I have asked a lot of questions. There are many things about Pennsylvania that distinguishes it — for better and for worse — but with regards to pedestrian infrastructure, I, like many of my contemporaries, believe that we are far behind the curve, especially with regards to the environment, property values, and the very concept of walkability. You might say that I have presented you with thousands of dollars of sidewalk consulting work free of charge. I believe that I have proven that any way you cut it, we are doing it wrong, and worse, we are doing it wrong because we have ALWAYS done it wrong. That’s no reason to continue doing it wrong. 

It seems that Pennsylvania’s sidewalk ordinances were drafted in the 19th century, a time when most people who owned urban property earned an income from it. After World War II, when mass home ownership became almost the norm, no one bothered to revisit this policy. The developers didn’t care if you wanted a sidewalk or not. The boroughs were fine with the policy because changing it meant work. And the residents sucked it up because its just how things are done. 

Any competent civil engineer or urban planner will tell you that our current policy is not cost effective — for anyone — except maybe the contractors who take advantage of the short deadlines and threats of legal action. 

Councilors have proudly claimed we haven’t raised taxes in a while, except that a $4000 sidewalk and curb rebuild sounds to me like a pretty serious tax hike, and sadly, one that I cannot deduct from my Federal income taxes. 

We need to stop doing this wrong. 

The right way is doing it with a comprehensive plan that addresses our concerns for affordability, quality, and fairness. We need a plan that recognizes our pedestrian infrastructure as a public resource and therefore a public responsibility. 

And if no other borough in this state is doing it, it is time for Jenkintown to lead the way. Imagine the positive publicity that will shine upon us for caring so much about its sidewalks and streetscapes, that it breaks ranks with anti-pedestrian Cheltenham and Abington. 

My wife and I are simply asking you to continue working on this issue. You will see that the numbers add up. The impact to our bottom line is minimal if there’s any at all. Under the focused management of the excellent people in our Borough government, this new approach all but guarantees better results. 

And best of all, the residents will no longer have to live in fear of waking up one day and finding a fresh crack or a white circle on their sidewalk. 

Instead they can take that money and buy a nice dinner at one the many fine restaurants in town or a tree-load of Christmas toys from Rhinocerous. 

Thank you for your time.

As part of Pennsylvania’s major gas tax hikes instituted a few years ago, a portion of the money collected goes into PennDOT’s Multi-Modal Fund.  According to their website:

The Multimodal Transportation Fund provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to the residents of the commonwealth.

[…] Funds may be used for the development, rehabilitation and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets and transit-oriented development.

For the record, here’s the exact text from the Multi-Modal Fund application. (You can download here.)

Eligibility: #A-1. Municipality – Any county, city, borough, school district, incorporated town, township or home rule municipality.

Jenkintown is eligible.

Eligible Projects: #2. A project related to streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement and pedestrian safety, including but not limited to: sidewalk connections, crosswalks, pedestrian and traffic signals, pedestrian signs, and lighting. Streetscape amenities, such as permanently affixed benches, planters or trashcans and trees, shrubs or mulch, may not exceed 10% of the total project cost.

Given that Jenkintown’s sidewalk code is ostensibly drafted to ensure pedestrian safety, and most of our sidewalks connect to the train station, Jenkintown is eligible.

Incidentally, the application says nothing about excluding sidewalks in residential districts. Yes, the fund requires 30% matching funds from the Borough, but couple that with a more wholesale approach to building and maintaining walkways, the cost would prove minimal.

But how do our sidewalks relate to multi-modal transportation? Every morning and evening and throughout most of the day, our street and many others here serve as both a vehicular and pedestrian feeder to the busiest SEPTA train station outside of Center City. A huge selling point of living here — after the quality of the schools — is access to transit.

Here’s a few examples of projects awarded funds for this year:

Forty Fort Borough, $825,306: Traffic Signal upgrade at Wyoming Ave, Slocum & Welles St., Sidewalks, Lighting, Ramp at Boro Bldg & paving of 20 alleyways throughout the Boro

Plymouth Township, $83,675: Sidewalk installation along Germantown Pike from Jolly Road to Walton Road in Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, PA

Jennerstown Borough, $261,067: Need for sidewalks where they currently do not exist to provide safe passage for school students, tourists and other pedestrians and provide handicap access along the Historic Lincoln Highway SR 0030

It only takes a little research, folks. I hope my borough appreciates all the free consulting work I’m doing for them.