Where the sidewalks end: mothers join together to tackle mobility issue

Kim Mori was frustrated when she found out that the county didn’t feel the same as she did.

She felt they should provide sidewalks in the Cypress area so that residents could travel safely between neighborhoods. They believed installing the passageways to be the responsibility of developers of nearby neighborhoods.

Coles Crossing resident Jennifer Armentrout is President and founder of Sustainable Living in Houston, a newly formed non-profit organization that is also focused on the sidewalk issue. They are working on developing a proposal for the “Complete Streets Act” for legislators, which would require that roads be built with sidewalks, medians and bike lanes.

She hit a similar roadblock when speaking with Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack’s office.

“Before I had talked with Kim, I had spoken with Mr. Radack about the sidewalk issue here and he basically told me the same thing,” Armentrout said. “That’s not forward thinking, it’s here-and-now thinking, which is not going to do anybody any good.”

On July 9, Armentrout and Mori joined forces and sent the following letter, which will be mailed to all neighborhoods in the area, to the Coles Crossing Community Association:

Recently, The Cypress Sun ran an article entitled “Where the Sidewalks End.” It outlines the difficulties that Cypress residents face walking to or from retail establishments and between neighborhoods. This is particularly a problem for families with school-aged children, teenagers, and the elderly who are not able to drive a car.

Kimberly Mori, a resident of Cypress, was interviewed for the article in part due to her awareness of many Cypress residents who share a deep concern about pedestrian and bicyclist safety. She and I have spoken with both Steve Radack and James Greeson about this issue, hoping that they would have answers. We soon learned that up to this point, the County has allocated no monies to the development of complete streets with bike lanes and sidewalks. As mothers, we are concerned about our children’s safety.

With the growing demand for petrochemicals and the dwindling availability, we and other residents are also concerned about the future with regard to gas prices and consumption. A healthy and economically productive alternative is walking or biking to local establishments.

In addressing this plight, we ask your permission to have sidewalks built in the areas lacking sidewalks around the perimeter of Coles Crossing, focusing on Spring-Cypress Road for the time being. Mr. Radack and Mr. Greeson have committed to help fund this project with permission.

Once they receive the consent of the various land and homeowners associations, they will discuss costs with the county. Pct. 3 said that they would fund up to 50 percent of the sidewalk project, Armentrout said.

She believes there is a consensus among the community for such a project, and hopes more residents will volunteer to help them with their charge.

“I think that where we are going to get our biggest base are from parents who are concerned about children’s safety.”

For more information, visit www.sustainliving.org.