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Sidewalk and Road Maintenance on North College

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The University of Delaware's North Campus is already somewhat of a hike to the main campus; however, the conditions of the sidewalk and road make this not just an unpleasant experience, but an inaccessible one. There are many different types of wheeled mobility aids, ranging from roller canes to wheelchairs, and while there are several options for the types of wheels, most people try to get a type that's well suited to the environment, however, poor maintenance can change the terrain, leaving mobility aid users to struggle and put extra strength and effort into their movements that they might not be able to afford. For example, before the train tracks on North College, there's this sidewalk. The cracks are large enough that pedestrians' rollators can easily get caught, requiring the user to tilt their aid backward to get the wheels over the lip of the crack. About a block later is the North campus bridge, a necessary walking path for students to get to their dorms. When arriving at that intersection, directly across from the bridge, students are faced with this.

The pothole starts just inches after where the curb flattens and spans a significant width. Wheelchair and rollator users alike have trouble with this curb as it is nigh impossible to navigate due to the narrow curb cut and the deep, large pothole which causes similar issues to the cracks on the sidewalk, only this time it poses more risk as people can get stuck on the actual road.

Alex Culley

Contents of this tag:

  1. Walkability
  2. Accessibility

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