The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge without any sign of slowing down. According to AAA, the average cost of gasoline in North Carolina is, as of this writing, $3.52 per gallon ($4.98 for diesel), an increase of 30% since last month. This is putting a lot of pressure on Fayetteville residents and making transportation alternatives like walking, biking and public transportation more important than ever.
Fayetteville is working hard to close the gap on missing sidewalks in our city. However, this will take time and will have limited impact on walkability. Since our city is so spread out and housing is separated from jobs and shopping, almost nothing is within walking distance.
Embrace density to make walking possible
In order to truly improve walkability, we have to first embrace dense, mixed-use zoning. This doesn’t mean putting gas stations or night clubs in residential neighborhoods. It means allowing apartments and condos in current commercial areas and low impact businesses like barber shops and hair salons in residential areas…