Sidewalks. They are something most of us take for granted. We use them every day, so it would seem like it would be a natural thought that everywhere we go, there would be sidewalks. But what would happen if there were no sidewalks? What would happen if you were reduced to walking in the street, where it may not be safe?

This is what students from the University of Michigan – Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College and patrons of Fairlane Town Center are reduced to. There are no sidewalks around so those walking and riding bikes, and the handicapped are reduced to walking in unsafe streets or on muddy grass areas that sink in at the slightest step.

Is this what we have succumbed to? Should we have to walk in such hazardous places?

On Evergreen Road, from Fairlane Town Center all the way past Henry Ford Community College to Ford Road, there are no sidewalks. There isn't a safe place to walk, to ride bikes or to use devices such as power wheelchairs. It is an injustice against which we must all take action. Should we allow this to continue? Should we allow the city to continue to violate the American Act for Disabled Persons? Should we keep our voices silent while people's lives are in jeopardy?

We decided to take this quest to the streets and ask several people what they think. One student who attends HFCC said, “Its time someone did something. All we do is talk, talk, talk, yet we do nothing. That’s the bad part about our generation—we are nothing but talk. I’m glad you guys are doing something.”

Another student we talked to also attends HFCC. His name is Jeremy Klein. He said, “I ride my bike every day, and it really is dangerous just to cross the street because of the lack of stop lights. This winter will be very bad with no sidewalks at the times that I need to get to Fairlane to catch my next bus.”

We spoke to a concerned mother, Janice Williams, whose young adult attends HFCC. She was very disturbed with the lack of safe places to walk. “Yes, that area is in desperate need of sidewalks. There have been too many incidents where pedestrians being nearly struck by vehicles. Let's give them a place where they feel safe to walk and go about their daily lives!”

Every day, the students, pedestrians and handicapped persons are put in jeopardy by the lack of efficient places to walk. Let’s give them a voice. Let’s give them a safer place to be. Winter is coming soon. Would you want to walk in the streets with a mixture of snow, ice and speeding cars? I wouldn't.

If you would like more information about how to help this cause, please feel free to contact us at tia_horner@yahoo.com and zero346@msn.com. If you would also like to do your part to help, please go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sidewalksforall/ and sign the petition.

Let the City of Dearborn know we mean business.