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Do you realize how catastrophically expensive it would be to build and maintain all of these bridges and pathways along with the four elevators per intersection
by CydeWeys 7y ago
Do you realize how catastrophically expensive it would be to build and maintain all of these bridges and pathways along with the four elevators per intersection? And how closed in and claustrophobic it would make the street level feel like from blocking out so much sun?
If this idea were viable, someone somewhere in the world would have already done it. But the closest I can think of is Las Vegas, and that's only along one road, and it's not even a full pedestrian pathway but instead just some bridges over intersections, and those are primarily there to prevent drunks from getting run over by cars.
- jacobolus 7y ago> If this idea were viable, someone somewhere in the world would have already done it. Hong Kong does this in the downtown area. It’s viable because of the very high population density and prevalence of foot traffic. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hong+kong+pedestrian+bridge&iax=images&ia=images&iaf=size%3ALarge https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hong+kong+pedestrian+bridge&iax=im...
- true_religion 7y agoDowntown Manila basically has bridges over every intersection, or underground walkways with elevators for the disabled. It works out great. Though admittedly it’s more of a workout than walking in flat Manhattan.
- CydeWeys 7y agoSo you've got to go up and down to cross every single intersection? That sounds like a nightmare that makes walking take significantly longer.
- jessaustin 7y agoIt works because driving is so inconvenient there.
- CydeWeys 7y agoIf driving is already so inconvenient why not just relegate it even further and prioritize walking over vehicles at intersections? Why should all the larger numbers of pedestrians be forced to take much longer to get where they're going on account of all these bridges to benefit a smaller number of vehicles?
- jessaustin 7y agoSure, improvements should be made. The pedestrian bridges themselves are improvements. People use them by choice, and not because they appreciate the exercise. It would be easy to underestimate just how many many vehicles and pedestrians are attempting to navigate the metro Manila area. Roads and other transit infrastructure are seriously lacking in Philippines, relative to that seen in more "developed" nations.
- bluGill 7y agoMany cities in fact already have it. We call them skyways. The bridge is building to building. It is generally not on the corners, but in the middle of the block. Getting in is tricky because you need to find the elevator in the middle of the building, but once in you don't leave for a while so that isn't a big deal.
- leetcrew 7y agothey actually do this in places like Minneapolis. mainly because it's just too cold to be outside for prolonged periods in the winter. my friend walks almost his entire commute without going outside.
- CydeWeys 7y agoYeah, so that system is only 9.5 miles, and claims to be the largest such system of connected aerial sidewalks in the world. Meanwhile, NYC has 12,750 miles of sidewalks. That's a several orders of magnitude difference between the capacity of the two systems.