Completing Sidewalk Networks: Benefits and Costs - Todd Litman

Sidewalk funding increases are justified to satisfy ethical and legal requirements, and to achieve 24 various economic, social and environmental goals. [...] 216 217 Regional and state/provincial transportation agencies can significantly improve pedestrian facilities on 218 their highway and public transit projects, such as sidewalks on bridges and pedestrian crossings over 219 highways, and provide grants to local governments to improve pedestrian facilities including sidewalks. [...] 222 For example, they can provide guidance and funding for local governments to develop comprehensive 223 GIS sidewalk inventories that can be used to identify network gaps and inadequacies, evaluate walking 224 and bicycling levels-of-service, and set targets for improvement (of example, that 95% of streets will have 225 ADA compliant sidewalks within a decade). [...] 227 228 8 Litman, Completing Sidewalk Networks: Benefits and Costs 229 CONCLUSIONS 230 Walking is the most basic and universal travel mode, and sidewalks are the most basic walking 231 infrastructure, but they are often overlooked and undervalued in transportation planning. [...] Sidewalk funding increases are justified to satisfy ethical and legal requirements, and to achieve 245 various economic, social and environmental goals.