Two “walkabouts” were held June 23 on Fifth and Sixth avenues to learn about creating safer and more walkable routes while improving the quality of life for everyone.
The event was hosted by Durant Sustainability Coalition and Durant Trails and Open Space.
Walk audit experts from AARP were present and the walks included citizens and children from the Boys & Girls Club.
DSC said more than 75 citizens, including two Durant city council members, City Manager Pam Polk, two Choctaw Nation officials and people of all ages and abilities explored the streets, sidewalks and bike lanes, or lack thereof, between the downtown and Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Also participating were representatives from Oklahoma Department of Transportation Active Transportation Department, Southeastern Regional Transportation Planning Organization, BikeOklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce, according to DSC.
Mashell Sourjohn, AARP senior associate state director, community outreach, said AARP was asked to come to Durant to implement a walk audit.
“A walk audit allows us to pull together community members of all ages to get their input on safe and walkability of certain areas and today we’re able to pull in some of the youth from the Boys & Girls Club as well as city leaders to take a walk around the area and really kind of assess what areas need improvement and how we can make our streets safer and more walkable for citizens,” Sourjohn said.
AARP has a walk-audit guide to help communities with improving walkability, according to Sourjohn. AARP Liveable Community Walk Audit team members Holly Gordon and Lisa Wilson were also present and they led a conversation with community members to discuss improving walkability for all age groups.
“So, it’s really important that we do have safe streets and just figure out why people are using certain streets and why are they not using certain streets and how can we improve that,” Sourjohn said.
“This is such a beautiful town and wonderful neighborhoods but we did see some areas that could use some improvements such as the sidewalks to include where people could use ramps or walkers or even bikes to get around.”
Before the second walk, organizers and community members met at the Southeastern Welcome Center.
Mike Delloro of Durant Trails & Open Space, said that in 2017, the Imagine Durant organization created a Master Trails plan to work with other groups to better connect the university, the Boys & Girls Club, Washington Irving Elementary School and ultimately, the downtown by improving the walkability in these areas.
He recognized Tim Boatmun and Stuart Rustin as both being strong supporters of working with multiple organizations to improve walkability in Durant.
“These two gentlemen are absolutely influential in our community and really being able for us together to forge a way to collaborate with many organizations,” Delloro said.
Delloro also recognized Mark Mesiti-Miller and Donna Murphy of DSC and city parks and recreation manager Ryan Brewer.
Sourjohn said AARP is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all and not just the 50-plus population by improving streets, housing and transportation.
“AARP, several years ago, they developed the walk-audit guide which we’re actually going to be implementing today and really help pull some things together to get everybody to be back on what makes communities livable, safe, walkable and how we can really improve not only just economic development, but the quality of life for all of our citizens,” Sourjohn said.
AARP will be producing a report on the walk audit. Among problems discussed after the walk were a lack of sidewalks, damaged sidewalks, overgrowth, people parking on sidewalks and abandoned lots.
A lack of wheelchair access also was noted.
“I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user and I was going to go, but had to work,” Jennifer Austin said, on DSC’s social media post. “I go to school at SOSU and I would love more wheelchair paths. I love Crooked Smile Trail since I live next to it.”
Ann Baskin commented on the Democrat’s social media post that sidewalks need to be wheelchair accessible.
“It’s not important until you are in one,” Baskin said.
