What's Wrong With Removing Sidewalks in the Name of Pedestrian Safety?

Broken Sidewalk analyzes an example of the kind of street design decisions continuing to encroach on pedestrian infrastructure around the country. The case study: Ninth Street in Louisville.

1 minute read

December 23, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pedestrian Overpass

Tony Webster / Flickr

"Louisville’s Ninth Street Divide just got a little bit wider, and Downtown Louisville a little less walkable," according to an article by Branden Klayko. More specifically: "During a street repaving project, two small pieces of sidewalk in the median of Ninth Street (aka Roy Wilkins Boulevard) at Magazine Street were removed, and engineers from Metro Louisville Public Works say the move is ab [sic] effort to increase safety because there’s no traffic signal at the intersection."

Klayko proceeds to a scathing critique of the reasoning behind the decision, extending the blame for the lack of priority given to pedestrians to laws throughout the state, not just in Louisville.

Angie Schmitt picked the story up for Streetsblog, noting Louisville's high rate of pedestrian fatalities (four times the number per capita as Washington, D.C.). Klayko updated his story after Streetsblog brought focus to the project to note that readers had pointed out the potential ADA violations of the redesign.

Thursday, December 17, 2015 in Broken Sidewalk

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

May 16 - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

May 16 - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

May 16 - Mass Transit