Nearly 70% of Savannah’s paved streets lack sidewalks. On average, 168 pedestrians are hit by vehicles in the city every year due to the lack of pedestrian and cyclist-friendly infrastructure.
Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia are leading an initiative that will identify safety barriers such as a lack of sidewalks, cracked pavement, and inaccessible intersections in 12 communities.
“There are some places that are extremely walkable. If you’re downtown, you know how easy it is to get around,” said Armand Turner, physical activity program manager for Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.
“But if you go to some of our other communities and neighborhoods, they don’t have that same infrastructure,” he added. “So for our youngsters who are walking or biking to school, we really want to make it safer for them.”
