[defrey12]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Waste of money.

“Sidewalks” are not really part of Southern culture…it’s called heat. In Georgia, they’re actually “auto recovery zones”…kid you not. There are some natives—we’ve been here close to 25 years and know many—who claim air conditioning ruined the South. Paved the way for Yankees…just sayin’

[defrey12]

Originally Posted by photo1902

You must not get out much

Agreed!

[defrey12]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

So you have an endless list of things to complain about.

Utterly amazing…always like your responses.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Why do we have so few sidewalks in the Villages?? I grew up in a small town and we had sidewalks on every street - and this was more than 60 years ago.

Because there are no sidewalks, I see a lot of people walking in the street where they can be hit by cars. Instead of spending money on a sidewalk along 44 - where very few people walk - wouldn’t it be better spent in the residential areas where thousands walk every day??

Great topic, and what bugs me is when they walk 2 abreast. And NOT walking facing traffic (like I do) so they can step off the road onto the grass. But, NO....... stepping onto the grass is (literally and figuratively) beneath them! And then the commercial trucks just practically park in the middle of the street. And then the residents think that they should do the SAME. And what DO you have then folks......a SNIT-SANDWICH of an obstacle course for resident drivers. And WHY can't they pave a MERE foot of asphalt on both sides of the donkey trail streets.
........I would be happy with a foot of just SHELL on both sides, EVEN that would be an improvement.
.........And what would it hurt........nothing.....the residents would have slightly less grass to water and cut.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by TommyT

With the size of home sites, can you imagine how much smaller the site would be with a sidewalk!!

Yes, I can imagine - building sites would be marginally smaller and there would be somewhat less grass. And anyway few residents have the energy, ambition, and wherewithal to cut their own grass. So, what do they care -
they just pay the townies to do their WORK for them....... SO that they can get better tee times. And i am not asking for a FULL 3 ft wide sidewalk. I just want 1 foot on either side of the residential street donkey trails. And they can even be shell. I don't care..........I mean GIVE me something.....powers that be!!!!!!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Why so few sidewalks in the Villages?

Nobody walks!

Nobody walks????? The Villages is billed as the healthiest city in the US for seniors. Maybe I am imagining all the residents WALKING and BIKING every morning and evening past our house. I better talk to MY LYING EYES.
.....NOBODY WALKS.........maybe no golfers walk, but REAL PEOPLE walk and bike.
......The recreation news is filled with ACTIVITIES that people ACTUALLY SWEAT at. SSSSSOOOO nobody can tell ME that NOBODY walks. They might as well try to tell me that nobody in the Villages breathes or drinks alcohol or goes to church.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

In addition, it's the homeowner's legal responsibility to maintain those sidewalks. Imagine the hue and cry of homeowners when Community Standards orders them to remove and replace old sidewalks with cracks in them, just so the guy walking his two dogs from the other side of the neighborhood can walk without tripping on a broken piece of concrete.

Simply widen the asphalt roads 1 foot on either side........easy - peasy!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Putting in sidewalks would have no impact on the size of a lot. It would not make it larger or smaller.

I agree. That would be a MARGINAL concern.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Also, a lot of streets are very narrow for sidewalks

That's WHY they need sidewalks because they are too narrow, donkey trails.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

A sidewalk would certainly cut down on the usable, enjoyable portion of the lot. It would also encourage walkers to be on my property and encourage walker's dogs to leave their droppings even closer to my front door.

Just in case: If walking on the sidewalk is not "on my property" then the size of my property certainly would be impacted by taking it for a sidewalk.

So basically, it is OK to KILL pedestrians on narrow roads because my nose might smell some bad things from dogs and that would offend me and stop me from entering HEAVEN.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

A lot of people in residentIal areas walk in the streets. Yet, in the more than two years I’ve lived here, I don’t recall reading about someone being hit by a car in those areas. The residential areas have reduced vehicle speeds, and walkers watch out for vehicles and vice versa. Actually, for a lot of walkers, stepping up and down over curbs is potentially more dangerous than is walking on the streets. It’s easy to trip and fall. There would need to be ADA approved ramps all over the place. The way it is is much better. One of the glories of The Villages is that neighbors and their dogs walk in the street and stop to chat with each other. With sidewalks on opposite sides of the street, that would happen less often,

Walkers do NOT watch out for vehicles. Many walk in a never-never LAND of confusion and senility. (often NOT even being smart enough to walk facing traffic as school children are taught. In my own neighborhood, there is a tall SEEMINGLY coherent man about age 55 that walks 2 large dogs on leashes. He BARELY controls them and he and the dogs routinely take up 1/2 of the residential street with LOTS of vehicle traffic.
.........go figure what the problem IS there.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by srswans

I like the no-sidewalk look - more natural and less concrete to maintain.

I suspect the lack of sidewalks also reduces vehicle speed by visually making the street appear narrower. The default speed limit is 20 and some neighborhoods are marked 10.

The overnight street parking ban also plays into this.

In my street they go 40MPH in the 20 MPH area.

[Velvet]

Around my area the streets are short and curved. By the time you put your foot on the accelerator you need to start breaking. Keeps the speed down.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Why do we have so few sidewalks in the Villages?? I grew up in a small town and we had sidewalks on every street - and this was more than 60 years ago.

Because there are no sidewalks, I see a lot of people walking in the street where they can be hit by cars. Instead of spending money on a sidewalk along 44 - where very few people walk - wouldn’t it be better spent in the residential areas where thousands walk every day??

I don't like the narrow donkey-trail streets inTV Land residential neighborhoods. But, I CAN think of one good reason why there are more sidewalks up NORTH than down here in Florida. Especially in the summer, Florida has more moisture in the clouds due to the greater HEAT and Humidity here vs up north. So, during the Florida summers we have HUGE thunderstorms and hurricanes dropping large amounts of water as compared to up NORTH.
........So, sidewalks in Florida would ADD greater area for the rain to hit and that water then RUNS off into the road creating road hazards and safety problems. The no sidewalks situation allows the greater RAIN in Florida's summers to penetrate down through the grass and dirt - the end result is less flooding in the road WITHOUT sidewalks than WITH sidewalks.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by srswans

I like the no-sidewalk look - more natural and less concrete to maintain.

I suspect the lack of sidewalks also reduces vehicle speed by visually making the street appear narrower. The default speed limit is 20 and some neighborhoods are marked 10.

The overnight street parking ban also plays into this.

I doubt that that overnight street parking ban is enforced very much, TV land does NOT have enough Police so it is sort of a wild west, catch as catch can approach to everything!