My comment pertains to the new sidewalks that were installed along the section of Needham Street under the Route 9 bridge and continuing to National Lumber. Redoing these sidewalks was such an opportunity to beautify an otherwise unattractive area. Instead of the new, all black hard top that now covers the entire width of the sidewalk, a planting strip could have been installed. And then lovely, carbon-absorbing trees, plants, and flowers (native even) could have been planted in this green space between the road and the sidewalk. Not only would the vegetation have provided a pleasing visual fence to block the unsightly parking lot it runs adjacent to, it would have made it more pleasant to walk in this area—and possibly increase pedestrian use.
A well designed sidewalk may have even drawn pedestrians into the small, somewhat neglected cemetery next to National Lumber, a smidgen of green space in an almost entirely paved landscape.
Further, it is cryptic to me that the City continues to install black sidewalks when we know that black paving materials make for a hotter environment. I’m betting that black pavement is cheaper than the white pavement many of our existing sidewalks are made of. If cost is the reason, that should be reevaluated because the black paving material’s heat generating characteristics may cancel out other expensive efforts by the City to reduce its carbon output.
What this recent sidewalk paving says to me is that the City, in addition to working with bicycle advocates, needs to coordinate all future DPW projects with its environmental official and Tree Warden so that the full potential of what a new sidewalk should be — an attractive, safe, low-carbon output walkway that draws in pedestrians and enhances the community — is maximized.
Susan Lyon
Waban