It doesn’t take much to see that the vast majority of non-metropolitan areas in the U.S. have traffic plans that prioritize vehicles over walkers. It doesn’t take much observation to realize that the vast majority of non-metropolitan areas in the United States have traffic plans that prioritize vehicles over pedestrians. This of course has to do with the different prevailing traffic patterns and history of each area. For example, the northeastern United States still has railroads, although most of them are used for freight transportation. But that shouldn’t affect the importance of sidewalks, because everyone needs to step on them when they step outside their homes, to one degree or another. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve noticed the heavy rains that make your shoes wet in worn-out sidewalk puddles, or the snow and falling tree branches that block your path on snowy days. This problem is only exacerbated by people who rely on walking to get around.

As you can imagine, the loss of sidewalk maintenance is worse on the fringes of town, but that doesn’t stop us from ignoring the problems in the heart of town in densely populated areas, where the problem is often poorly designed or clogged drainage systems, or the absence or inadequacy of landscaping and environmental protection. Some areas with narrow sidewalks also reveal underestimation and design flaws in the original zoning. This is of course a complex and systemic issue, but on the other hand, solving sidewalk problems is improving and protecting our living environment.

With these elements in mind, I conducted my own fieldwork in late April and early May to examine the condition of sidewalks in Newark, both in the center of the campus and in the relatively peripheral out-of-town road extensions and general residential areas. This was not only to identify problems, but also to provide perspectives and potential opportunities to address them, as they may vary from area to area.

My Field Investigate seeks to find the overall condition of the sidewalks in my area of Newark. This work assesses the integrity, obstruction and water resistance of the sidewalks. Since most of the data provided by government agencies and mapping companies covers road conditions and construction, not sidewalk conditions. These conditions are often not digitized or given special attention. Therefore, it was necessary to conduct a field survey to examine the general condition of sidewalks in the town. Considering the size of the town and the consistency of maintenance conditions. This survey was carried out by myself. I rode my bicycle along the sidewalks in May 2021 and recorded data on 10 sidewalks. Note that the work in May was done in the absence of short-term severe weather, which is consistent with the general condition of the sidewalks at most times. My observations in February, on the other hand, were not systematically recorded, but I will compare them to them in my conclusions.

The assessment of each sidewalk covers the degree of integrity, obstruction, and water resistance.

S Main St Very complete No obstructions, only small gravel patches Waterproofing good, almost no dips, sewer function complete Score A

Elkton Rd Almost complete, negligible deterioration Small gravel, some dust accumulation in places Depressions, but good vegetation cover Score B

Dallam Rd Very complete, small sand and gravel, no dips, good vegetation cover Score A+

Corner of Elkton Rd & Christiana Pkwy Long term road construction, interrupted sidewalk at intersection Sand and gravel, occasional litter, significant depressions Score D

Christiana Pkwy has only one side of sidewalk More gravel and trash with depressions Score C

Casho Mill Rd Sidewalk intact Minor gravel and small amount of floating soil Slight depressions Score B

Julie Ln Sidewalk complete Almost no pumice No significant depressions Score A

Barksdale Rd Pavement complete Almost no gravel No depressions Score A

Bluehen Ridge Pavement complete, almost no gravel, no depressions Score A

Fawn Dr Sidewalk complete, almost no gravel, no depressions Score A

In Conclusion, Newark’s sidewalks are generally in good condition. The majority of the sidewalks are intact, free of visible obstructions and debris, and have good water resistance. The sidewalks are in better condition in the middle of crowded and central areas, and worse near less pedestrian and construction areas. In contrast, in February, during severe weather, Christiana Pkwy and Corner of Elkton Rd accumulated a large amount of branches, snow, debris and ice floes, posing a significant safety risk to commuters, and the condition of these poorly maintained roads can deteriorate more than good roads during extreme weather. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring and observation of the conditions near the construction roads and call for maintaining those in bad condition and without maintaining.

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