City staff said Dayton wants its sidewalk network to be safe and accessible for everyone, including older community members and people who use wheelchairs, walkers and strollers.
About one in six Dayton residents are 65 and older, and about a quarter of older Americans fall each year, which can lead to serious injuries. Falls often occur when people slip or trip on sidewalks.
Repairs/updates
In the last month, the Dayton City Commission has approved more than $4 million worth of contracts to fix and enhance sidewalks and curbs around the city.
The city has said that many of its sidewalks are in “substandard conditions” because of crumbling curbs and tree roots.
The city approved funding for projects in what it designated as focus neighborhoods, like the Twin Towers, Old North Dayton, Miami Chapel, Edgemont, Carillon, Wolf Creek and Five Oaks neighborhoods.
The city selected these neighborhoods after analyzing data related to poverty rates, social determinants of health, and the populations impacted most by COVID-19.
Multiple construction firms are going to remove and replace deteriorating sidewalks, curbs and curb ramps, plus remove trees and stumps that are interfering with walking paths. The city is home to more than 1,800 miles of sidewalks.
The city also is putting some money toward curbs and sidewalks in city parks and along streets that are being rebuilt, including some outside the target areas.
The curb and sidewalk upgrades are part of the Dayton Recovery Plan, which is the city’s spending plan for its $138 million in federal COVID relief funding.
Xenia Ave.
City documents show that Dayton plans to replace sidewalks along a 0.6-mile stretch of Xenia Avenue, roughly from Keowee Street to Boltin Street.
Xenia Avenue has been in need of sidewalk and curb replacement for a long time, said Jan Lepore-Jentleson, the longtime executive director and founder of WestCare Ohio’s East End Community Services who recently took on a new role.
“Residents have struggled with crumbling sidewalks and curbs that have been in disrepair for years, especially the many children and parents who walk to Ruskin neighborhood school every day,” said Lepore-Jentleson, who now serves as vice president for community development initiatives with the WestCare Foundation.
Lepore-Jentleson said the quality of the physical infrastructure in the public right of way in a neighborhood definitely impacts the safety of residents, the image of the neighborhood and the investment value of a community.
“When the public infrastructure is poorly maintained it appears that nobody cares and leaves a community vulnerable to crime and further disinvestment,” she said. “Sidewalk improvements will also complement the investments currently being made in the Twin Towers neighborhood.”
Older residents
Safe and hazard-free walking paths are especially important to older residents, who often travel on foot to catch a bus, visit friends and family, shop or attend appointments and events.
Some research has identified walking as the most common fall-related activity, and falls usually occur on sidewalks, curbs and streets. Dayton (pop. 137,645) has roughly 22,000 residents who are 65 and older, according to U.S. Census data.
Driving should not be the only way to get around, and pedestrians need sidewalks and safe and crossable streets, said Michelle Shirer, spokesperson for AARP Ohio.
“Moving easily and safely from one place to another vastly improves quality of life,” she said. “When adults of all ages or those with disabilities are able to walk or move easily around their community with safe streets and sidewalks, it can be a way to help prevent social isolation, enable people to age in place, and continue as engaged members of their communities.”
Shirer said by 2030 one out of every five people in the United States will be 65 or older.
By 2035, there will be more people over the age of 65 in this country than under the age of 18, she said.
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