This blog has not made it a secret that getting around Ashwaubenon is a real problem. If you can even get there due to the lack of transportation options, you still have to worry about getting hit by a car around the mall (story HERE).

And I’m not alone in my concerns over the lack of effective planning in the village. The newspaper has brought up concerns from readers now as well (story HERE).

Yes, there are plenty of historical considerations to take into account. And unraveling the urban planning spaghetti of correcting that history into a modern and pragmatic solution takes time.

But the truth is that for all of the retail and attraction ambition Ashwaubenon possesses, it’s still only catering to the close minded preferences of those who don’t have to traverse these dangerous conditions to visit or even work at those locations.

The solution would be for Ashwaubenon to do more listening to those who are responsible for making the village operate. And not through the same channels that will ensure only the same small number of connected residents get their way, but to the businesses and younger residents who will depend on the area for years to come.

I’ve worked in Ashwaubenon before, and I can tell you that during the winters after a good snow, what few sidewalks that are available are covered in hills of plowed snow. That’s why it’s not unusual to see someone walking on the shoulder of busy streets to support themselves and build a future.

Sometimes the path to a better quality of life doesn’t have to be an elaborate plan. Sometimes it just has to be an actual…path.