Pic of the Day: The West Bridge Street sidewalk conundrum

New Hope’s town elders determined that one of two sidewalks on the north side of West Bridge Street was dangerously uneven and close to traffic, and that converting it into a planter and forcing pedestrians onto a lower, stairway-accessed sidewalk was the answer.

One need only observe the stairway in question for a few minutes to see dozens of individuals pushing baby carriages, using wheelchairs, and coping with differing physical abilities weighing a decision on whether to attempt the steep stairway or dodge two-way tourist traffic. Interviews with several merchants and tenants refer to the daily “chicken run,” as pedestrians leap the wooden fence adjoining the roadway and race to the other side.

Another answer to a problem that creates a bigger problem? FWIW: West Bridge Street foot and vehicle traffic are on the agenda for next week’s Borough Council meeting.