Getting To The Root Of The Problem

Curbs and sidewalks. They’re a big issue here in the 4th district. Getting new sidewalks is nice. It makes for a great campaign promise for a candidate standing before frustrated voters wanting to know where their tax money is going. The problem with promising new sidewalks for all is that it’s only a temporary fix. Our urban forest continues to grow and those same new sidewalks will only continue to heave and buckle as tree roots rise and swell looking for water. I think there’s a better way. Santa Monica street maintenance inspector Richard Valeriano saw the same issue happening in his city and decided to do something about it. He invented a pressure-baked rubber tile made from recycled tires and began installing them in place of the damaged concrete walks around the city’s ficus trees. The result? Mature urban trees were spared from the chainsaw and progressive communities across North America are now installing rubberized sidewalks. An entire industry has sprung up around this environmentally conscious and safer alternative. You can read more about this technology by checking out the website of Rubbersidewalks Inc. Also, special mention to local blogger Heidi at me, my life + infrastructure who blogged on this very subject back in October.