Kate Stewart: Our footpaths too important to sideline

Kate Stewart

FOOTPATHS ... maybe not the most inspirational topic to write about, so bear with me as I endeavour to turn a sometimes dangerous trudge into a pleasant, invigorating walk.

For those who still live in the real world, as opposed to the online one, footpaths are very much like Facebook. They keep us connected. They are ironically the worldwide web of old.

We use them to visit familiar sites and explore new ones but more importantly, they always lead us back home.

The humble footpath also carries some mighty precious cargo every day.

They convey our kids to kindergartens, playgrounds and schools, we walk them to get to and from work, they keep small businesses like dairies alive, which for many car-less folk is not to be underestimated, and they are a familiar friend to many walkers and joggers in search of a fitness fix.

In these respects footpaths, albeit unwittingly, actually contribute to our economy.

It's fair to say then, that footpaths are absolutely crucial so why wouldn't we want to maintain them as best we possibly can?

Letting them fall into such shameful states of disrepair will only cost us more in the long run.

We are talking about the paths that our kids learn to ride their trikes, bikes and scooters on. These same paths are walked by tourists, paying good money to stay in our city and see our beautiful sights and they are travelled on by the elderly and disabled.

All of these people, without exception, deserve safe passage. We can't quite literally allow them to fall through the cracks.

Damaged mobility scooters, strollers and trikes, twisted ankles, falls, broken bones, ACC, hospital stays, loss of work productivity, negative tourist reviews ... the list and financial negatives go on and on.

If we were talking about the online web, we'd be pulling out all the stops to protect ourselves. Security checks would be paramount as would regular cleaning and maintenance. We would quickly remove any threat.

Yet on the web of old we seem happy to drag our feet, no pun intended.

Potholes grow larger, cracks get wider and the "playing field" isn't as level as it could or should be.

I'm not asking for footpaths so perfect that they can be moon-walked on, just a reasonable level of consistent upkeep to ensure the safety of the user and/or their personal property.

Council, for some unknown reason, seem content to dole out decent pavements as if they were a luxury and not a right, not to mention a valuable resource. No expense is spared to pretty up the increasingly empty main street and carefully selected other areas, while the rest have been left to virtually crumble beneath our very feet.

Footpaths are like the unsung heroes of our community.

Often forgotten, they're our connection to friends, neighbours, business, pleasure, education and so much more. They form a network that we desperately rely upon without even realising it.

If city councillors would only put the same amount of effort into sidewalk safety as they do trading childish insults with one another, life would be a much needed walk in the park.

The time for sidelining our sidewalks is over! #pavetheway investik8@gmail.com.

*Kate Stewart is a politically incorrect columnist of no repute. Born and bred in Wanganui, she does not suffer fools gladly but does suffer from the occasional bout of hayfever - your feedback is welcome: investik8@gmail.com