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Rubber Sidewalks

If you’ve ever tried to push a baby stroller down a sidewalk where the streets are lined with shade trees, you’ve probably run into more than your fair share of bumps, cracks and crevices from tree roots pushing up through the concrete.

There’s a solution for that these days: Rubber.

While currently too expensive for widespread use, rubber sidewalks have the potential for solving several problems at once. They bend, to allow tree roots to grow; they are divided into panels, allowing moisture to seep into the soil and reach roots so they don’t push up looking for moisture; they provide a second use for tires now stacked high at local landfills; and they greatly reduce “trip and fall” lawsuits for municipalities.

They’ve even passed the high heels, roller blades and kickstand test. What’s more, kids who fall off their bikes or people who manage to trip even without the lumps, bumps and cracks are less likely to get hurt because of the softer landing.

Dozens of communities are installing rubber, including Washington, D.C., Boston and Santa Monica, California. But at three times the cost of concrete, they aren’t likely to show up outside your home any time soon.

Much of the higher cost so far has been attributed to shipping materials from a plant in southern California. With a second plant going up on the east coast, costs could soon come down.

To read more about this story, click here.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org