Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh should be responsible for sidewalks

Regarding the article “Fixes not fines: Pittsburgh wants to aid, not punish, poor homeowners with crumbling sidewalks” (Feb. 25, TribLive): I commend the city for supporting low-income residents in maintaining safe sidewalks. Expanding the 2023 pilot program is a step in the right direction. However, Pittsburgh should take full responsibility for sidewalk maintenance, ensuring pedestrian paths are as safe as the roads we drive on.

That this isn’t already the city’s responsibility is baffling. Imagine if Pittsburgh stopped maintaining roads and instead forced residents to repair the patch in front of their homes, fining them if they failed to do so. Everyone would agree this is absurd — so why do we accept it for sidewalks? Both are public rights-of-way.

The only explanation is our car-centric culture, which prioritizes vehicles over pedestrians. Yet studies show safe sidewalks increase physical activity, improve public health and reduce pedestrian fatalities. Recently, Denver became the largest U.S. city to fully fund and maintain its sidewalks.

Pittsburgh should follow suit. Safe, walkable infrastructure isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Dylan Galper

Highland Park