Pedestrians on Streets Designed for Cars

[lafinjack]

Last year Raquel Nelson was crossing the street with her 4-year-old son who was struck by a driver who fled the scene. Her son died and Nelson - just to be clear, the mom, not the driver of the car - was convicted of homicide by vehicle and reckless conduct (source). Nelson, you see, was jaywalking. Her apartment complex was directly across the

Comments

[arisma]

One of my best friends was hit in a crosswalk that had faded to the point of being near invisible. It's definitely a motor vehicle world.

[the_gabih]

It's definitely a motor vehicle world country.

[gillianinoz]

No, world was the right word - it's exactly the same in Australia.

I can't take my 81 year old mum to one of her favourite shopping centres because there is literally no path between the bus stop and the centre.

You try threading through a huge car park woth an 81 yo and a walker.

[caketime]

Um, it depends on the country obv. Australia and the U.S. (and parts of Canada) have a lot of space and thus cater to cars/private transportation systems. Central Europe not so.

[juunanagou18]

One of the reasons I'm excited about going into urban planning is to correct ridiculously common bullshit like this. Whose bright idea was it to design a transit system without also having clearly defined pedestrian crosswalks (both along the roadway AND across) on a busy street? I see one in the first picture for crossing a street on the same side the bus drop-off is, but there also needs to be a perpendicular crosswalk as well.

Though the problem with the layout is that it's a busy street without an open median. I'm trying to think of a solution, but they all look awkward in my mind.

[adirtylollipop]

Maybe put one of those types of crosswalks where you push a button, and there are flashing yellow lights that turn on signaling traffic to stop?

[lafinjack]

[adirtylollipop]

Well in my town, they've worked significantly better than nothing.

[homasse]

I am still so mad about that case. They charged the mother with a crime far more serious that the repeat offender drunk driver who hit her kid.

[juunanagou18]

It is absolutely ridiculous that this poor mother is being charged because of the city's negligence.

[adirtylollipop]

I have literally no sympathy for drunk drivers, and this is coming from someone who has spent time in rehab for alcohol addiction. Drink in the privacy of your own home, or if you insist on going out make sure you have money for a cab or you can walk home. The fact that he was charged with a lesser crime than her is absolutely absurd.

[lafinjack]

A guy I knew on IRC back in the day was arrested and jailed for about a month for a DUI, and he was so fucked up and guilty about it for a long, long time. While it was incredibly dumb that he did it (and he would agree), in the end it definitely made him a better person.

[ladypeyton]

The way I understand it she was convicted and sentenced to 1 year probation but the judge offered her a new trial and a chance to clear her name. Her lawyer has said that they plant to take the judge up on the offer.

Link to HuffPo Article

[anolinde]

Omg, wtf. Whenever I'm biking and there's a sidewalk, I always take the sidewalk. Period.

[ms_maree]

I can see where they are coming from, as I have almost been run over by push bikes a few times and as it's a footpath, as a person on foot I think I should have right of way and not have to be worried stupid I'm going to be hit by someone.

I feel sorry for the bike riders, though. It's just a general lack of planning overall and the all-mighty car is always more important.

[lafinjack]

...and they actually gave her a ticket for riding her bicycle on the sidewalk...

Yeah, that's the law in a lot of states and cities, but like you said, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't.

But even then, the only time I've been in an accident with a bike was when I was pulling out of an alley, slowly, honking as is the custom here, and still I pulled out into the sidewalk and a guy on a bike hit me because he was on the sidewalk, going the wrong way down a one way street, on the wrong side of the street even then, and on his phone.