Kenny Ormsby
eSomethin staff
I’ve heard that since the beginning of Perrysburg’s inception as a township, they’ve had bad sidewalks. Since I was young, I’ve witnessed the change in almost everything in Perrysburg, from new schools, to new public spaces. One thing, however, I don’t see getting fixed much is the sidewalks.
“I would make [the sidewalks] wider and better maintained as well as implementing more public safety especially around the library and Zoar Lutheran church,” said Brick Lewis, a teen skateboarder in Perrysburg, Ohio, who’s been riding for about four years.
Everybody should have the privilege of feeling safe while pursuing hobbies like skateboarding.
When Perrysburg thinks of changing things, or fixing things, or adding things, they typically only seem to think roundabouts and restaurants. But I feel like they need to think of the sidewalks for people who don’t have a car or just don’t want to be on the road.
Every time a restaurant is constructed, the traffic exponentially grows, and the bad drivers with it. The thought of driving soon becomes more and more horrifying to me.
Growing up, I’ve always been interested in the outside world. Naturally, I picked up biking for a little while, but eventually, I realized there had been a way better option looking me in the face constantly. I had picked up boarding on a longboard.
Riding on a longboard just felt right – until it didn’t – because Perrysburg’s sidewalks are in horrible shape. I’ve constantly fallen off of my board after hitting various bumps, cracks, and sand pits around town. I know it’s not just me either; some of my friends have the same issue, too.
“The massive cracks and missing chunks of sidewalk makes it almost impossible if you aren’t a skilled skater,” said Lewis. “You have to be constantly alert and any time you ride on a sidewalk you haven’t before it’s different. As soon as you let your guard down you look at the sidewalk and your board stops. As soon as you hit one of the many and massive cracks on the sidewalks of Perrysburg you fly off and hope you can catch yourself. I’ve been riding on multiple different towns and cities and I can say with confidence that Perrysburg has the worst and unmaintained sidewalks of them all.”
One of the many spots the sidewalk conditions are an issue is near the Zoar Lutheran Church. A little past the church and the crosswalk into downtown Perrysburg, there’s an area that has lots of sand, stopping boards risking destroyed bearings, which can be pricey to fix.
“Uneven surfaces are the worst when it comes to Perrysburg. In multiple spots there are pieces of sidewalk lifted almost three inches from the ground also debris like rocks, gravel or dirt can really affect your ride. Also, bad drainage can make it impossible to ride if it rained or is raining due to puddles,” stated Lewis.
Having such bad sidewalks is a huge shame because skateboards aren’t allowed to ride on roads; legally, we have no choice but to deal with the sidewalks for a good majority of any ride. On top of that, public places such as the library have signs saying forbidding skateboards. This is a problem because for people like me and my friends, the best transportation available to us is skateboards.
I feel as though people riding skateboards today get the same prejudice as the stereotypical skater teens from the ’80s and ’90s even though a good majority of the people riding aren’t like they used to be.
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