The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, the old saying goes.

Treading the news: I left a West Side parking lot a little before 10am on the morning of Aug. 16 with one goal in mind: Walk the length of Broad Street to the opposite end of Columbus.

Why it matters: Broad Street encapsulates our whole region on one heavily traversed road — a cross-section of suburban sprawl, downtown hubbub and diverse neighborhoods that showcase both where we've been and where we're going.

• It's easier to appreciate all that from the ground during a nice, slow walk.

The big picture: I discovered countless businesses, restaurants and scenic views I'd never noticed before while riding in a fast-moving car.

• Along the way, I passed 16 food trucks — most serving Mexican cuisine — and 11 different brands of gas stations.

Yes, but: The experience also opened my eyes to just how dangerous Columbus can be for pedestrians.

• One stretch near Hollywood Casino is surrounded by two Mark Wahlberg car dealerships, an auto parts store, a car wash and eight lanes of traffic — yet no sidewalk or bike lane.

Intersections are especially brutal. Pedestrian crossing markings are often faded or missing entirely.

• Some intersections have wide stretches to negotiate and offer only enough time for Olympic speed walkers to make it.
• I saw children run and wheelchair users hurry across roads to avoid oncoming traffic.

Between the lines: Disparities became obvious between West and East Broad Street neighborhoods.

• Three-fourths of West Broad Street residents live in an area of "persistent poverty," according to LinkUs, a regional initiative that proposes much-needed infrastructure improvements.

Meanwhile, in wealthier Bexley, pedestrians have safe sidewalks and crossings, along with superior tree coverage.

Of note: I had planned to reach Columbus' Far East city limits, but my 15-mile journey was cut short in Whitehall a little after 5pm.

• The sidewalk ended again and the berm narrowed. It didn't feel safe to continue.

Broad Street has been a major thoroughfare for more than 200 years, features countless iconic landmarks and, not surprisingly, has been the site of major historical events.

Flashback: The first bridge over the Scioto River was built on Broad Street in 1816.

• A few decades later, it served as the local stretch of the National Road, connecting Ohio with five other states.

The intrigue: The National Road followed the 40th parallel (for latitude coordinates), hence Broad Street's other name — U.S. Route 40.

The big picture: Broad Street is also where the Northwest Army was headquartered during the War of 1812, where Confederate prisoners were held and where 11 governors have lived.

• The downtown stretch is home to Capitol Square, City Hall, the Hotel LeVeque and Rhodes Tower, Columbus' tallest building.
• It's almost certainly the only road where you can place a bet, tour King Tut's ancient tomb, bone up on the law and browse amazing artwork.

What else has happened on Broad Street:

🏛 1861: Abraham Lincoln spoke at the Statehouse and learned while in town he had officially won the presidency.

• 1865: Lincoln's body lay in state inside the capitol building rotunda weeks after his assassination.

🏈 1927: National Football League headquarters moved to 16 E. Broad St. and remained there for 12 years.

🍔 1969: Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's restaurant at 257 E. Broad St.

🏎️ 1985-1988: Drivers sped down Broad Street during the annual Columbus 500 races.

🌸 1992: Franklin Park hosted AmeriFlora '92, a gigantic (and expensive) horticultural exposition with plants from across the world.

Change is always happening on Broad Street, from the recent opening of the 198-room Junto hotel to converting the PNC tower's former Galleria building into what the Dispatch calls "a dining and drinking destination."

• And there are smaller developments, like Third Way Cafe relocating across the street in the Hilltop. Its new building features an adorable mural of cats working construction.

The intrigue: Another major project involves a total transformation of the former Woodcliff neighborhood in Whitehall, near where my walk ended.

• The blighted community, once declared a public health nuisance, was purchased by the city in 2018 and left abandoned while awaiting demolition.

What's happening: With the homes razed and utilities work underway, developers should begin vertical construction early next year, Whitehall spokesperson Megan Meyer tells me.

• The new community will feature 1,000 residential units, business and retail space, plus an 80-acre nature park.

Nearby, Discover is investing $16 million to renovate a 103,000-square-foot-building for a new customer care center.

• Whitehall is planning a multi-phase overhaul of Broad Street to better accommodate all this development, Meyer notes.

What they're saying: "I think that speaks to what's going on in Central Ohio," she says of the Broad Street happenings, amid a regional population boom.

State of play: Columbus plans to renovate other areas of Broad Street — the crash-heavy James Road intersection and a Far East stretch near the I-270 interchange.

• The biggest proposal would turn the nine-mile length of West Broad Street — from Rockbrook Crossing Avenue to downtown — into a rapid transit corridor.

Details: The project would include dedicated bus lanes, new sidewalks, crosswalk enhancements and buffered bike lanes.

• The $8 billion cost for this and two other transit corridors would be paid for by a 0.5% COTA sales tax increase that may appear on next year's ballot, Columbus Underground reports.

💼 Check out who's hiring on our Job Board.

1. Global Director at Kin + Carta.
2. Employee Communications Director at Commercial Vehicle Group.
3. Sr. Superintendent at Pepper Construction.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Use code FIRST50 for $50 off your first job post.

🙄 Worst sign pun: Village Animal Clinic, "Happy Dog-ust"

🐔 Restaurant I want to try: Lenny's Chicken Fingers

💍 Longest slogan: R & L Jewelers, "We Repair Jewelry, Resize Rings and Replace Watch Batteries While U Wait"

✂️ Smallest business: Lee's Little Hilltop Barbershop