With the temperature continuing to be unseasonably chilly, as in in the 70s, I decided to continue with my drastic alteration of my regular predictable pattern and once again go on a walk in my neighborhood, rather than drive to one of my regular hiking or biking destinations.
It has been awhile since I walked west on Boca Raton Boulevard, so I did so today, taking a right on to Canyon Drive, then west up a steep side street to walk south under my neighborhood power line greenbelt to Bridge Street, then back to my abode via Bridgewood Drive.
I was not long on Boca Raton Boulevard before I was appalled by that which you see above. A thorny mesquite bush, at least that is what I think it is, blocking the sidewalk. There are very few sidewalks in my neighborhood. This particular sidewalk leads to Albertsons, multiple fast food joints, like Wendy's, KFC, Church's Chicken, Dan's Seafood, Subway, Grandy's and others I am likely forgetting, in addition to regular restaurants, like Italy Pizza & Pasta, Luby's, and regular businesses, like Home Depot, Firestone, Discount Tires, Family Dollar, Dollar General, the aforementioned Albertsons and others I, again, am likely forgetting.
And yet one of the few sidewalks that lead to these places is blocked by vegetation. And it was not just this one instance of blockage, as you can see below, a couple hundred feet from the first obstruction.
I know for you reading this in other parts of America, it is hard to believe that this type poor sidewalk maintenance exists in what locals, who have not seen much of the rest of the world, believe to be the most livable city in America. Or that which they believe to be the most livable city in America has so many roads with no sidewalks, with the sidewalks that do exist being so narrow that a couple plus-sized Texans could not pass without one needing to step out onto the street.
Heading north on Bridgewood Drive, just past the aforementioned Firestone and Family Dollar, I came upon the example of the dangers of no sidewalk, combined with another out of control bush, which you see below.
Note the dirt path worn into the ground where a sidewalk should be. Many a time I have seen people struggling to walk on this wobbly path. Or a mom struggling to push her babies in a stroller. You can not tell it from the photo, but this road slopes downhill at this location. With the dirt path so close to the road it is a bit startling when a bus and car pass by at the same time. I was startled by just that, soon after I made my way past the above obstruction.
Among the many reasons I am appalled by the Trinity River Vision, beside the fact that it is a myopic Boondoggle, is the fact that that Boondoggly vision is so narrow in focus. When Fort Worth has so many areas which could use a bit of vision, wasting limited resources building un-needed bridges over an imaginary bypass channel is just bizarre, when Fort Worth needs much more than a Trinity River Vision, because it really needs a Fort Worth Vision, with that vision seeing a city with sidewalks, with parks in areas currently underserved by parks, such as East Fort Worth.
Many a time I have mentioned that those who have visited me from the Pacific Northwest have liked the Fort Worth Stockyards the best of the area's tourist attractions. What I don't think I have ever mentioned is I take people on a tour of the darkside of Fort Worth. Driving east from downtown Fort Worth on Lancaster, Rosedale and other streets is a sure jawdropper to those who have never visited a third world country. Same with much of the area on the Northside, as in surrounding the Stockyards zone.
Where is the vision to vitalize the rundown, slum-like parts of Fort Worth? Why is this not even much of an issue? I know other towns in America also have rundown, slum-like areas. I also know some towns in America do not have such areas. Why is that?
I walk the streets of Fort Worth on a day like today and these are the type things I wonder about....
