Our View: We Need More Sidewalks

Over this past weekend — a busy one, confirming that summer is in full blossom — we noticed several near misses of pedestrians and bicyclists by motorists along local roadways. All occurred on streets that lack sidewalks. As the Lower Cape fills up with more and more people — not just as summer ramps up but year over year — it’s time for local towns to re-examine the need for sidewalks. While property rights and community character have halted previous sidewalk projects in some locations, this is becoming a serious safety issue, one that officials can no longer ignore.

 The problem is particularly acute along Chatham’s “loop,” a popular walking route along Stage Harbor Road, Bridge Street and Main Street. Only the Main Street portion has sidewalks. Stage Harbor Road is the most problematic stretch as its gentle curves sometimes make it difficult for vehicles to safely pass pedestrians and bicyclists. Several years ago the town dropped a plan to add sidewalks along Stage Harbor Road after opposition and lawsuits from property owners, many of whom were summer residents who didn’t want their shrubs and fences relocated to make space for sidewalks. The town backed down, mistakenly in our opinion.

 Brewster showed a path forward in such situations. Adding sidewalks to Millstone Road was a difficult process that took years to reach fruition. Many neighbors opposed the plans, and yet through persistence and working closely with property owners, the project is now reaching its final stages. Pedestrians now have safe passage along one of the town’s most heavily traveled roadways. 

Harwich has also done the seemingly impossible by installing sidewalks connecting downtown Harwich Port to Saquatucket Harbor. The serious traffic congestion during the construction process will ultimately be a small price to pay for the improvement. 

 Many roads in our communities are narrow and winding, and that’s the way we like it; it maintains our small-town ambiance and neighborhood cohesion. But in our minds, safety trumps that, especially along Chatham’s “loop.” And we’ll include Shore Road, Orleans Road, and Meetinghouse Road (currently a major issue in the affordable housing development proposed there) and throw in Beach Road in Orleans as another problematic location where misguided opposition has stalled sidewalks efforts. A state law requiring that vehicles provide four feet of clearance between themselves and pedestrians and bicyclists aims at making the roadways safer for the latter two groups, but many people either don’t know about it or ignore it. Better enforcement, perhaps by stationing police officers along heavily used pedestrian and biking routes, might send a message. 

 Sidewalks can blend in with their surroundings, if planned carefully. Working with local residents, property owners, bikers and walking groups, there’s no reason sidewalks can’t be developed to ensure the safety of all, as Harwich and Brewster have shown.