Letter to the editor

While being one of my favorite books of silly and quirky poems, “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is also the tale of a small town with a huge opportunity.  If you live inside the City of Batesville, and attempt to walk anywhere on the sidewalk, you are soon confronted with a problem – the sidewalk just ceases to exist in many places.  

I realize this is a problem of right-of-ways, funding, and a general sense of apathy from the public, but it’s almost like taking your life into your own hands if you want to walk or ride your bike any distance.  

 I certainly wish Batesville were more pedestrian and cycle friendly. Maybe we could take a cue from our neighbor, Oxford, which has made great strides to improve the fate of pedestrians and cyclists alike?  

I know there is funding available for projects of this type, and I certainly feel it would be of benefit to our citizens who choose to transport themselves from place to place in something other than an automobile. With gas prices rising at a startling rate, all small towns should be making improvements that favor alternative transportation.

Crosswalks at major intersections, bike paths, and a comprehensive sidewalk system would be a great start!

/s/Jennifer Tidwell