Why do people insist on walking in the middle of the road affecting traffic when there's a perfectly good sidewalk, bought with tax payers dollars, five feet from them? The sidewalk is there for thier protection as well as the driver's. I can't tell you how many times we've come home after dark and have to swerve around a person walking in the middle of the road parallel to the sidewalk.

I'm not "new" to the neighborhood anymore, but thought I'd reply because I have a comment and a gripe:

Walking in the street: if you're referring inside the city limits (and not on Westport Rd) my guess would be that because a good portion of the neighborhood doesn't have side walks…transitioning back/forth is more of a pain rather than keeping a straight line. I'm with you, though, if there is a perfectly good sidewalk, well then use it for the safety of all. When we first moved to this neighborhood one of the 1 ^st things I mentioned to my wife was that I missed having sidewalks. After living here for ~4 years, it’s something I’ve grown accustom to. …..

However this also brings me to my next point which is my concern about speeding/motor traffic and related safety with pedestrians:

 My complaint (and I'm sure this has been an ongoing problem for years) is the sheer number of people who speed through this neighborhood. Especially on the connecting streets to Westport Rd (Westport Ter, Beechwood, Perryman, Ahland...etc) I not only see people going 25-40+ MPH over the limit but accelerating as if they’re on an on ramp to an expressway. The speed limit in the city is 15/20 MPH

This is something that is difficult to regulate. Even with signs posted and city police I realize that it is difficult to enforce. I feel it has more to do with Self Control/Self Patrolling your speedometer and having respect for your neighbors.