PETRICORP

Preston Trails is a large subdivision in Pickerington, a city that lays along State Route 256. The neighborhood is made up of 3 smaller subdivisions, including a middle school and elementary school that belong to Pickerington Local School District. There are also a couple of neighborhood parks.

Sidewalks run along every road, providing accessibility. These sidewalks are used every day by people of the neighborhood, and often, you will see children walking or riding their bikes to the schools within the neighborhood. Crosswalks are clearly labeled and utilized often. The street lights are typically more abundant around schools than residential areas. There is some local traffic, but no public transit that runs through the neighborhood. Preston Trails is definitely an automobile derived subdivision. There is some public transit that runs along State Route 256 in Pickerington, but isn’t necessarily convenient.

Within 6 miles of Preston Trails, there are many grocery stores, such as a Meijer, a Giant Eagle, a Kroger, and two WalMarts, all located along State Route 256. Pickerington could be considered food secure, with many grocery options within a drivable radius of Preston Trails. Although Pickerington is definitely an automobile based community, and someone with out a car may want to reconsider the neighborhood of Preston Trails. Along State Route 256, there is also an abundance of fast food chains to choose from. Therefore, Pickerington could also be considered a food swamp because of the vast amount of unhealthy, yet convenient options.

The city of Pickerington could benefit from increasing public transit for it’s residents who do not drive, to increase their access to more healthy food options, perhaps by adding more COTA stops. In Preston Trails, a community garden could also help bring people together, increasing awareness about healthy food options and educating children about healthy food an sustainability as well. A farmers market could help generate revenue for local farmers, as well as provide the freshest produce to the residents of Pickerington.