Suppose a community team identifies lack of access to exercise modalities as a public health issue. If the team were to determine that pedestrian walkways need to be constructed, discuss at least two factors that would facilitate the development of the walkways and two that would hinder the development.

Suppose a community team identifies lack of access to exercise modalities as a public health issue. If the team were to determine that pedestrian walkways need to be constructed, discuss at least two factors that would facilitate the development of the walkways and two that would hinder the development. For the hindrances, discuss ways that the team might work to overcome those hindrances.

Pros for pedestrian walkways

One factor that could be utilized for the development of pedestrian walkways is to emphasize the safety benefits for a its citizens.  According to U.S. Department of Transportation, “Annually, around 4,500 pedestrians are killed in traffic crashes with motor vehicles in the United States.  Pedestrians killed while “walking along the roadway” account for almost 8 percent of these deaths.” (US DOT, 2013)

The second factor is the benefits of mobility.  The expanded walkways can help to get more and more people options of being able to get around on foot.  People are more opt to walk or ride a bicycle if they had a safer way to do so.  These people also reduce the numbers of cars that are on the road because the decided to take an alternative. The DOT writes “Sidewalks provide many benefits including safety, mobility, and healthier communities.” (US DOT, 2013)

Cons for pedestrian walkways

One of a major cause for a lack of pedestrian walkways is a lack of financial backing to pay for them. According to City Lab “But as the city has grown and the community has called for a more walkable public realm, relying on property owners to cough up the thousands of dollars to build publicly accessible sidewalks has become less than ideal.” (City Lab, 2012) There are areas in the United States that aren’t able to afford walkways because it hasn’t been budgeted.  The other dilemma is that depending on where you live and if it is remote then the less chances that a walkway will be built unless someone privately funds it.

The second cause for pedestrian walkways is due to not enough population in the town to justify constructing them.  Walkways would be built as a means for people to get around safely and in order to do so you need people.  Hence, the predicament that many small towns argue when dealing with situations such as this.