Letter to the Editor: Sidewalks have many benefits

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by April Bril of Decorah):

"As an Iowa WalkingCollege Fellow and a Safe Routes to School Advocate, I am pleased to see theCity of Decorah move forward with a sidewalk maintenance and improvement project.  Although I understand the financialchallenges of the project, I believe sidewalks provide numerous health,economic, and safety benefits for the community.

The availability of sidewalksis one of the most effective ways to encourage walking. According to studiesfrom AARP, people who live in neighborhoods with sidewalks are almost 50percent more likely to be active for at least 30 minutes a day. Furthermore, researchhas shown that walking 30 minutes a day can decrease your chances of diabetes,heart disease, obesity, depression, and certain cancers. Walking has so manyhealth benefits that in 2015 "Step It Up! The Surgeon General's Call to Actionto Promote Walking and Walkable Communities" was launched as a way to decreasethe growing number of chronic diseases in the United States. 

Walkable communities canalso offer many financial benefits, such as a reduction in healthcare costs. Homeswith sidewalks tend to sell for more money and in less time than similar homeswithout sidewalks. Businesses also benefit as residents are more likely to shoplocally when there is increased connectivity between residential andbusiness/commercial districts. The well-maintained sidewalks, accessibility,and inviting atmosphere of downtown helps Decorah to attract tourists. Applyingthese same characteristics to the rest of the City could help attract newresidents as well.

There are many morehealth and economic benefits related to walkable communities. As a parent, thegreatest benefit sidewalks provide is safety for pedestrians, especiallychildren. I feel it is our duty to provide safe, easily accessible places forchildren in our community to bike and walk. Like several areas in Decorah, Ilive in a neighborhood that is not fully connected by sidewalks. I look forwardto the completion of the City Sidewalk Project so my family will be able towalk to local parks, downtown, and friends' homes without having to walk on thestreet.