Best Sidewalk

Bend has a lot of good things going for it, but what about the best of the worst?

The Source Weekly’s staff did a rundown on sidewalks in its 2018 Transportation Issue, which talked about the many ways to commute in Bend. It included a section called “Sidewalk Talk”—a mix of articles that described local streets that aren’t the best to navigate on foot. Below is a poem dedicated to the difficulties of walking (some of) the streets in Bend—and in particular, Franklin Avenue’s “pee tunnel” sidewalk.

An Ode to Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk “Bends”

There is a place where the sidewalk ends; it’s called Bend.
It’s not just one place but a few,
One foot forward, hesitant step back…
Am I really supposed to step onto that?
Is it safe?
What’s the matter?
You are past Franklin, walking along Third.
(Haven’t you heard?)
It isn’t safe to walk here!
Google maps is feeding you lies, this isn’t a place to commute on foot,
But what’s the harm, you’re already here,
Your objective is quite clear:
Make the trek from El Sancho to Kelly D’s.
You must sing Karaoke.
It’s Saturday night, and although you normally bike, the walk sounded nice, until now.
What are you to do
When the sidewalk literally starts to deteriorate in front of you?
Welcome to Bend,
The place where the sidewalk ends.