And Damon Martin says his mother got him a neon vest and flashlight to take with him so he can more safely navigate the streets of South Philadelphia because some of the sidewalks are so bad.
All three work at Liberty Resources, a Center City-based disability-rights group. They say that disabled people throughout the city face challenges each day because of poorly maintained sidewalks and steep curb cuts.
As a result, they're forced to travel in the street with traffic.
John Boyle, research director at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, said his group notices a regular stream of wheelchairs in city bike lanes as members conduct their cyclist counts.
Though he said there aren't enough wheelchair users to cause a problem for cyclists, the practice puts wheelchairs at risk of getting hit by a car.
SIDEWALK STRUGGLES. The most important thing Philly can do to help folks in wheelchairs get around is improve sidewalks. City officials acknowledge that sidewalks aren't up to snuff (and of course, this problem affects more than the disabled community). They're trying to figure out how bad the situation is.
The Planning Commission is drafting a pedestrian and bike plan that will look at the quality of the sidewalks on the city's major streets.
Project manager Deborah Schaaf said some sidewalks, especially in North Philly, where Tucker lives, have deteriorated badly and even "dissolved."
The problem isn't only in low-income areas. The roots of street trees can also cause parts of sidewalks to jut up, making them hard to navigate.
Schaaf said the commission is considering recommending repairs for sidewalks that connect to important local destinations such as schools, parks and transit stops.
But the city doesn't have plans to fund more comprehensive sidewalk improvements. For one thing, sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of private-property owners.
