When Gladwyn started walking his 10 year old daughter to school, they were the only ones on the uneven sidewalks. Now, the pair has collected a team of other students who want to walk with them. “Other parents notice us and other families are now starting to walk to school too.”

“We walk because everything we need is so close by.” In fact, the convenient connections to Caltrain, schools, and stores were the reasons Gladwyn moved to Belmont from Los Gatos. Now he lives a block and a half from Safeway, Longs Drugs, and a myriad of other stores. “Within a circle of 6 blocks I can find any services I am looking for.” Even his dentist and doctor are within a short 20 minute bus ride.

Living within walking distance from stores allows his children to run errands to the store. “They are getting exercise while learning to consume only what they really need, because anything extra they buy is excess weight that they have to carry home.” But for Gladwyn, the biggest benefit of living close to shops and services is that “the family has more time together and gets to be outside.”

Gladwyn, whose walking has inspired several other families to start walking to and from school and the shopping center, wants to see more improvements made to sidewalks. “My 90 year old next door neighbor used to walk to the park, but after breaking her hip, she can’t go anywhere because the sidewalks are too broken up. She shouldn’t have to drive her wheelchair in the street, and the children should have room to walk in groups without overflowing into the street.” For Gladwyn, “wider sidewalks for people instead of wider streets for cars will help us continue to build healthier communities.”