Where the Sidewalk Ends

Next time you’re in D.C., you may notice an extra spring in your step. That’s because we’re getting some rubber sidewalks in our fair city. The Washington, D.C., government has contracted with Rubbersidewalks Inc. to install sidewalks made of shredded, recycled tires instead of unforgiving concrete on some city blocks. The benefits: Your bones are less likely to break if you fall, reducing the number of lawsuits the city must deal with; and Washington’s magnificent street trees won’t have to shove their roots to the surface in order to get air and water, reducing the number of cracked and buckled sidewalks (which are also more likely to cause pedestrians to trip and fall).

Rubber sidewalks last longer, require less maintenance, and  keep tires out of landfills—in 2003, the EPA reported some 290 million tires are discarded every year. Street trees will live longer, sucking up that climate-altering carbon dioxide. Plus, D.C.’s double Dutch skippers will be able to jump that much longer without knee replacements.