Policy

Proposing a better way

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Last week, I reached out to Dan Burden of Walkable.org about our situation. Here is his response: Here is my take: Creating the right policy to assure improved walking and property values, improved community health, greater social life, spaces supportive of play and related benefits to key streets is important. […]

Policy

Affordability is not the point

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Despite everything I’ve so far written on this issue, I clearly have to work harder clarifying my stance. During my conversation with Mr. Conners yesterday, I had to explain more than a few times that though this issue presents a hardship for me and my family, to me the real […]

Latest News

Official silence

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More than two weeks ago, I wrote letters to our borough manager and my three (count them, three) of twelve(!) borough councilors explaining our situation. As of today, I haven’t received so much of an acknowledgement of receipt from any of them. Today, I sent my councilors this email (along […]

Latest News

Please spread this flyer around

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I just distributed this flyer to all my neighbors along the stretch of Runnymede that borough plans to reconstruct, but this issue applies to the entire borough. Indeed, it applies to the whole state. Please download, print, and distribute to your neighbors as well. Thanks for your support!

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Thanks for visiting

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If you have just received a copy of the letter I have begun to distribute to the neighborhood, please first visit this link which goes into greater detail explaining why I believe this law must be changed. Please leave your comments at the end. Thank you.

Policy

Walkabout: No reason we should keep tripping over rough sidewalk issue | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Diana Nelson looked into this issue back in 2013, and conveyed some alternative ideas for funding sidewalk reconstruction: Throughout the country, sidewalks are commonly the adjacent property owner’s responsibility, but there are creative ways to deal with the realities of citation after citation without response, lien after […]

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It’s about the kids, too. 

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Yes, there is federal money for sidewalks There are two pots of federal dollars currently available for Safe Routes to School programs and projects. The first pot is from the old transportation law (SAFETEA-LU), and does not require matching funds. This pot is still available in many states, find out […]

Policy

Cars win again

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Doing some homework on the issue. This from the PennDOT site: Q. Why does PennDOT not replace curbs and sidewalks? A. By Pennsylvania State law, the local municipality or property owner is responsible for the maintenance or installation of curbing and sidewalk [emphasis mine]. Furthermore, it is District 8-0 policy to use […]

Legal Issues

Pennsylvania law and Jenkintown sidewalks: It’s all about the liability

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I would like to thank the mayor of Jenkintown, Ed Foley, for sending me a document that pertains to this commonwealth’s policy on sidewalk repair. Make no mistake folks: This goes back decades, and it does seem to have everything to do with shifting liability from municipalities to its citizens […]

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Sidewalks are a public right-of-way

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Forgive me for stating the obvious, but you wouldn’t know it from the way Jenkintown funds sidewalk repair. I cannot be the only one in Jenkintown that thinks the way we (and many other towns in Pennsylvania) fund the repair of sidewalks and curbings borders on insanity. In our borough, […]