The difference with train tracks is that they have been specifically constructed for the purpose of transporting heavy machinery. By not being allowed to access

The difference with train tracks is that they have been specifically constructed for the purpose of transporting heavy machinery. By not being allowed to access them by foot you are not losing any right that you previously enjoyed. Roads and streets, on the other hand, predate automobiles by millennia. Hence the philosophy that is followed in the UK, where there is no such thing as a "jaywalking" infraction. People have had a right of free passage along public highways (English law definition [0]) and general rights of way (Scotland [1]) for centuries, and this right cannot simply be taken away just because now there happen to be heavy fast moving objects that are allowed to use some of them. You are free to walk on and across the road at any point and time whatsoever, as long as you do not cause a danger to other users. Note that this doesn't apply to motorways (≈freeways) though, as these were expressly constructed to carry automobile vehicles and are therefore legitimately of limited access. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highways_in_England_and_Wales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highways_in_England_and_Wales [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_way#Scotland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_way#Scotland