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Tangentially related, but important if you do any sidewalk work… Those bumps on the ramps are not for traction, they are tactile clues for the blind. Do not us

by jws 8y ago

Tangentially related, but important if you do any sidewalk work… Those bumps on the ramps are not for traction, they are tactile clues for the blind. Do not use the bumped pavers decoratively to make interesting patterns! They come in a variety of patterns, but those all have specific meaning, they are not there to make your walk look interesting.

mikepurvis 8y ago
I can appreciate that purpose, but they're also really annoying to traverse for other kinds of vehicles, including small-wheeled strollers, children's scooters, longboards, etc. It's appreciated when the curb cut can be a bit wider so that there's a section which is smooth all the way down. With my powered longboard (Boosted), I'm usually on the road, but there's a section of my commute where I'm on a multi-use pathway adjacent to a busy road and need to use curb cuts to navigate crossings at a pair of roundabout— having the bumps there (with limited way to avoid them) adds instability exactly when I'm about to cross traffic and need to be able to focus on which non-signalling, unaware drivers are about to swerve out of the roundabout and plow me over. I'm obviously a tiny minority in this, and the accessibility argument is huge, but OTOH crossing these roundabouts in their current condition would be pretty much impossible anyway for a non-sighted person.
- carapace 8y ago
  As annoying as being blind? I understand you're inconvenienced by the bumps but, c'mon, have some perspective.
  - mikepurvis 8y ago
    "crossing these roundabouts in their current condition would be pretty much impossible anyway for a non-sighted person"
- xsmasher 8y ago
  They are more than annoying for bicycles - they're an outright hazard for bicycles. They become slippery as ice when wet. A nearby bike trail uses them at every intersection, and when it's been raining I dread having to maneuver on them.

by jws 8y ago

mikepurvis 8y ago

I can appreciate that purpose, but they're also really annoying to traverse for other kinds of vehicles, including small-wheeled strollers, children's scooters, longboards, etc. It's appreciated when the curb cut can be a bit wider so that there's a section which is smooth all the way down. With my powered longboard (Boosted), I'm usually on the road, but there's a section of my commute where I'm on a multi-use pathway adjacent to a busy road and need to use curb cuts to navigate crossings at a pair of roundabout— having the bumps there (with limited way to avoid them) adds instability exactly when I'm about to cross traffic and need to be able to focus on which non-signalling, unaware drivers are about to swerve out of the roundabout and plow me over. I'm obviously a tiny minority in this, and the accessibility argument is huge, but OTOH crossing these roundabouts in their current condition would be pretty much impossible anyway for a non-sighted person.

carapace 8y ago
As annoying as being blind? I understand you're inconvenienced by the bumps but, c'mon, have some perspective.
- mikepurvis 8y ago
  "crossing these roundabouts in their current condition would be pretty much impossible anyway for a non-sighted person"
xsmasher 8y ago
They are more than annoying for bicycles - they're an outright hazard for bicycles. They become slippery as ice when wet. A nearby bike trail uses them at every intersection, and when it's been raining I dread having to maneuver on them.