Help Make City Sidewalks Safer with SidewalkSnap presented by The Barnes Firm

Cracked, broken, and partially raised sidewalks are common no matter where you are in the world. Sidewalks can begin to lift and crack due to movement underneath the pavement, caused by water erosion, earthquakes, or tree root growth. Water and ice can also find their way into small cracks and cause chipping or widening of holes. Materials filling the expansion joints between concrete sidewalk panels can also degrade and leave a gap that could pose a safety risk to pedestrians.

Damaged walkways can easily cause a person’s shoe to get caught in a crack and send them falling face-first into unforgiving concrete. If sidewalk damage is significant enough, it can even cause someone to get their foot caught, twisting their ankle, or worse.

Sidewalks that are in good repair provide everyone, especially the elderly and people with disabilities, more access to our communities. People using wheelchairs, crutches, canes, or those who may have compromised vision require access to smooth, even pathways to have the same quality of life as their non-disabled peers. When a community’s walkways are not passable, pedestrians often end up walking in the road, frequently resulting in higher rates of pedestrian and traffic deaths.