Sidewalks make it a rough road for seniors

With no hand rails for support, Phyllis Gibbons has to use the hood of her vehicle to manage the tall step in front of the Gallatin Senior Citizen’s Center. Phillis said she fell in front of the center last August and twisted her ankle. “Yes, it’s a pain for us old people,” she said. “You saw how much trouble I had. I wish something could be done about it.”

Three separate individuals fell on the sidewalk in front of the Gallatin Senior Citizen’s Center last year and others have fallen in the past, making the conditions of sidewalks and curbs a real safety concern of Deanna Lewis, administrator. She would like to raise public awareness about the safety issues and about the benefits of proper maintenance.

“One person who fell in front of the center was in her seventies, one was in her eighties, and one was in his nineties,” said Deanna. “One broke a shoulder, one broke a hip. One lady that fell went to the doctor and had x-rays. Nothing was broken, but she was bedridden for a couple of days from being sore.”

None of the elderly citizens fell directly in front of the center, but all fell on their way to or from the center. At the noon hour, when the center provides dinner, it is a high-traffic zone. Older people are particularly vulnerable to fractures if they take a hard spill. Often using canes and walkers, they must navigate uneven sidewalks and missing curb ramps all along the block if they want to take advantage of activities at the center.

“Deterioration of the sidewalk is one problem,” Deanna said. “The worst problem is it’s a very high step for a senior.”

Deanna would like to see the steps shortened and hand rails put up, similar to the Gallatin Post Office.

“Maybe if there were hand rails, the taller steps wouldn’t be such an issue,” she said. “But the fact that there are no hand rails really, really hurts.”

The Senior Center does have a handicap accessible entrance in the back with a small ramp. It’s handy for one person to drop off another.

“But it’s not convenient, especially if you’re driving yourself,” said Deanna. “It is an alley. There’s no parking back there.”

Deanna points out that other sidewalks around the Gallatin square are in as bad or even worse condition with cracks and concrete missing and that her block, in fact, may be one of the better sidewalks in town.

Business owners are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their stores, according to Gallatin City Administrator Zac Johnson. If someone slips and falls, the liability is on the business owner. The city does have some leverage to encourage business owners to fix their own sidewalks, he added, under Chapter 215 dealing with nuisance violations.

“The nuisance ordinance has to do with sidewalks and curbing that are in an unsafe condition or so out of repair as to be dangerous,” said Mr. Johnson. “There are a list of steps to be gone through. Owners receive notice and if the repairs aren’t made, they can be given an abatement notice. It’s their responsibility to fix it.”

Slip-sliding away

The falls in front of the center occurred at different times during the year. Still, Deanna says, it would be helpful if the sidewalks could be kept clear of snow and ice in the winter.

“Even when the snow is gone from the sidewalk and street, it’s all piled up in that walking area. After the last snow storm, people had to wade through a big pile of snow. Snow removal is a big issue.”

When road crews scrape the highway of snow and ice, it’s not unusual for a snow ridge to get plowed up on the sidewalk. A good job of cleaning the roads is often at the expense of elderly pedestrians.

“We remove the snow and ice from in front of our business and so does the post office,” said Deanna. “Going south it’s pretty good. But going north, there aren’t any businesses. No one cleans those areas.”

The best possible solution, she says, would be for individual owners to maintain the sidewalks in front of their businesses, even if those buildings are vacated or abandoned.

MoDOT could help smooth out the bumps

One possibility for fixing the town’s sidewalks has come to Deanna’s attention. State funding is available through a MoDOT safety bill for Transportation Enhancements. This program provides funding for transportation related activities other than roads and bridges.

Every city in the state can apply for the grant. Savannah, population 4,762, recently applied for and won the grant for sidewalks for their town.

“I was kind of shocked we got it,” said Savannah’s city administrator Janice Hatcher. She said the city is presently mapping out ownership of the sidewalks and getting easements established. Savannah’s city crews will do the work themselves.

Mrs. Hatcher noted that Savannah did a downtown rehabilitation project in 2002. At that time, the sidewalks around their senior center were fixed and a ramp put in place.

Deanna has written a letter to the city administrator asking him to apply for the enhancement grant city-wide. To sponsor the project, 20% of the total project must be met locally with MoDOT footing the other 80%.

Mr. Johnson said he plans to meet with Deanna in the near future to hear her concerns.

“If there’s something the city could do to help, we’d be all for it,” he said.

He has reviewed the requirements and guidelines of MoDOT Transportation Enhancement funds and sees some project types that would be good for Gallatin. Those include new or reconstructed sidewalks and curb ramps, renovating streetscapes, conversion of abandoned railroad rights of way to trails, and restoration of historic buildings.

The grant is based on a competitive selection process.

“The accidents in front of the senior center should bump us up on the list,” he said. “It’s definitely worth looking into. And if we could get some money freed for our town, that would be great.”

“I can’t imagine anybody not wanting to support this,” said Deanna. “The best avenue would be for the city to sponsor the project. Businesses would only be responsible for coming up with money to match the 20%. It could cost a lot less than a lawsuit.”