Last night, the Lexington City Council approved a controversial plan to build sidewalks along a portion of Tates Creek Road. Most folks weren't sure which way the vote was going to go.

From a Herald-Leader article before the vote: "Sidewalk plan upsets residents:"

Council member Julian Beard, whose district includes the west side of Tates Creek, and Cheryl Feigel, whose district is on the east side, are opposed to the sidewalks. Beard doesn't think people will use them. "My constituents don't see people walking along the road," Beard said, adding that when he drives along Tates Creek, "I never, I mean never, have seen anyone walking."

Supporters of the sidewalk have pointed out that there is a goat trail worn into the grass on the side of the road which drivers probably don't see when they are whizzing by at 45 miles per hour or more.

A group of Tates Creek Road residents was fighting the project tooth and nail, and even hired a lawyer to produce this filled-with-legalese letter which was sent to Lexington's Mayor. The residents also created signs they places on their lawns, stating "No impervious sidewalks" and "Keep Tates Creek Green." A supporter of the sidewalk dryly commented that these same residents weren't too concerned about impervious surfaces when the road was widened several years back.

Supporters of the sidewalk plan organized a "Walk in for Sidewalks." There's a video you can see here. Someone with an eye for PR must have been involved, because they included lots of kids, even one using crutches to navigate the uneven terrain on the side of the road. Nice touch!