In response to Sandra Storey’s “JP Observer” piece (“JP streets: The orderly and the ugly,” July 22) that pointed out that City-planted trees and their “pits” use up too much sidewalk width and obstruct pedestrian traffic, I would like to suggest a faster solution. The City should enforce its law prohibiting sidewalk sandwich-board advertising signs. An increasing number of the stores on Centre, as well as South Street, put these signs out in front of their shops, blocking much-needed walking space. I watched an elderly woman the other day trip on one of the signs as she tried to share the walk with a mom pushing a stroller. Enforce the code and open up more pedestrian right of way.
Anastasia Lyman
Jamaica Plain
View Comments (1)
Imagine JP business districts with their wide sidewalks, but without trees & tree pits to stumble into. Each business could have a wide awning to shade and cover pedestrians. Residents and/or businesses could donate funds to install benches against the storefronts, each flanked by pots of flowers maintained by resident groups or individuals (another contest!). This could make it a friendlier JP, and with the benches it would bring much more foot traffic to the districts as everyone would want to be where everyone else is meeting to chat & shop. In a perfect world!