Nothing feels more embarrassing than walking in the gutter alongside a busy road, feeling judged by every passing car for simply walking to your destination rather than just driving. Roads tend to lack a space for anything besides cars, giving any other means of transportation not much to work with, and feel unwelcome in a car-dominated space. Pedestrians and bikers not only feel unwelcome, but are at major risk of getting injured or killed by traffic. Pedestrian deaths by traffic increases every year, with around seven thousand deaths just in 2023, and similar rates in the surrounding years. People should be able to safely get from point A to point B by whatever mode transportation makes most sense for the trip. Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, needs to be implemented in our town to give people less of a reason to be scared of walking, and more of a reason to enjoy their community while efficiently getting to their destination. These issues affect all cities, but I am focused on Webster, and especially the Thomas & Willink school zone. 

Pedestrian infrastructure would also bring some livelihood and sense of community to our town. With safer sidewalks comes more pedestrians, more social interaction, and more of a neighborly connection. We are divided and deserve more time together.