Editorial: Build more sidewalks, bike paths

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2003 | 8:46 a.m.

The idea of major cities in the United States having any respect at all for bicycling and walking as forms of serious transportation has often been met with ridicule. But we sense the commuting public might be more receptive these days to alternative ways of getting to work and running errands. One reason, of course, is gasoline prices. People are becoming resentful of the frequent and inexplicable increases.

Other reasons include the technological advances in bicycles, which today are faster and easier to ride than the balky models of yesteryear, with their oily chains always slipping off their gears. Additionally, many people see walking or bike riding as a way to shed a few pounds while simultaneously reducing air pollution. Also contributing to a rising national consciousness are environmentalists, think tanks and urban planners, prodigious producers of studies and reports that no longer ignore the potential role of bicycles and sidewalks.

The latest of these reports is one released jointly by Smart Growth America, a national coalition of nearly 100 organizations devoted to better urban planning, and the Surface Transportation Policy Project, a national nonprofit organization funded by numerous regional and national foundations. Their report, released last week, concludes that cities, states and the federal government should devote more funding to bicycle and pedestrian paths. The groups focused on the phenomenon of urban sprawl, and found that people who live in areas affected by it tend to have increased incidences of obesity and other health problems, such as high blood pressure. This is because of urban planning that renders healthy walking and bike riding all but impossible.

The study highly recommends building more infrastructure for bicyclists and walkers. We hope city and county planners read the study and incorporate this recommendation into their short- and long-term plans for accommodating growth in the Las Vegas Valley. The few bike paths that now exist are well used and there should be more of them. Pedestrians especially have it rough, as sidewalks are often nonexistent, too narrow or impassable by disabled people. European countries have long incorporated walkers and bicyclists into the plans for their major cities. It's time we stopped snickering at the idea and got to work on it.