Fellow Sun Prairie cycling and walking advocates, we need your voice now!
The City Council is considering updates to the Sidewalk Policy that would significantly undermine our commitment to safe, year-round mobility. While the current policy mandates sidewalks on both sides of all new and reconstructed streets, the proposed change would only require sidewalks on one side of existing streets where none currently exist.
This is a dangerous half-measure that we must oppose.
A Half-Measure is a Safety Failure
We founded sunprairiemoves.org to advocate for safe moving, walking options year round in Sun Prairie. A one-sided sidewalk policy fundamentally fails that mission.
- Safety and Vision Zero: City officials committed to a Vision Zero plan, setting the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2035. Prioritizing safety means removing risk. Forcing a pedestrian or child to cross a street—potentially in the dark, snow, or ice—just to get to the one sidewalk available is creating a hazard, not eliminating one. We cannot achieve ZERO harm with incomplete infrastructure.
- Accessibility and Equity: Sidewalks on both sides ensure continuous, accessible pathways for everyone, including those with mobility challenges, parents with strollers, or individuals using wheelchairs. A one-sided gap means a major deviation, or worse, a complete barrier.
- Year-Round Use: During winter, sidewalks are often cleared at different rates. Requiring two sidewalks provides a crucial safe redundancy, ensuring a clear path is almost always available. If one side is impassable due to snow or ice, forcing a walker into the street is a recipe for disaster.
Our argument is simple: Sidewalks should be built on both sides, on all streets. This is the only way to build a truly complete, safe, and resilient transportation network that serves all residents, not just drivers.
Contact Your Alders Today!
We must let the City Council know that rolling back pedestrian safety standards is unacceptable. Reach out to your elected officials immediately and tell them you demand the policy maintain the standard of sidewalks on both sides of all streets—existing, new, or reconstructed.
Find details on the proposed changes and contact information for your alders here:
- Proposed Sidewalk Policy Information: https://www.cityofsunprairie.com/3088/Sidewalks
- Contact Your Alders/City Council: You can find the contact information for all Mayor and City Council Members on the City's website.
Demand a complete network. Demand Vision Zero commitment. Demand sidewalks on both sides!
