Betton Sidewalks: Ready for You!

If you’ve been on Betton Road the last few weeks, you’ve noticed the orange barricades on the sidewalks . . . and backed up traffic on the road during off-peak daytime hours. The City of Tallahassee’s Underground Utilities and Public Infrastructure crews have been hard at work replacing cracked sidewalk sections and milling down uneven joints.

To celebrate the work’s completion, some Betton Hills residents and David Earle, the City’s project coordinator conducted a rather impromptu ribbon-cutting.  From the left, that’s Martha Cunningham, avid bicyclist, Mike Brezin, BHNA president, Mary Kay Falconer, BHNA Walkability Coordinator, Casey McLaughlin, BHNA board member and father cyclist with his two children, Mary and Andrew, and Dave Earle.  If you know BHNA board member Mario Taylor, you know what a shy person he is; still, he consented to have his shadow in this photo.

We’re thrilled that the City designed and completed this project.  Whether you’re young, adult, or senior, a walker, runner, or bicyclist, the smooth, good-as-new sidewalk makes for a safer passage along Betton Road.  As the BHNA works to boost walkability (including bikability), the improved sidewalk represents a concrete step in the right direction.  We’ve still got work to do on slowing off-peak traffic on Betton and improving intersections to make crossing the road safer.  And, with your help and the City’s growing commitment to livable neighborhoods we’ll get there.

In the meantime, if you’re out for exercise, to visit local businesses, or to play at Winthrop Park, give the new sidewalks a chance to impress you . . . you’ll be glad you did.  It’s your tax dollars at work for you.