3 ms·

Walkability in the US is indeed dire, but: > Add to that how America sets up situations very unsafe street crossings, often 8 lanes wide without a median I do

Walkability in the US is indeed dire, but: > Add to that how America sets up situations very unsafe street crossings, often 8 lanes wide without a median I don't think I've ever crossed an 8 line highway on foot (US native). I definitely wouldn't call it "often". Maybe in a place like LA or Houston? I do cross 4 lanes pretty frequently, though.

lotsofpulp 3y ago
They are everywhere in suburban USA. Arterial roads, such as those lined with big box stores and shopping plazas, are commonly 3 lanes in each direction at 40mph speed limits (which means cars are driven at 45mph+), plus turning lanes. Your best case scenario is the crossing being ~56ft, but 70ft+ crossings are normal for busy intersections. Which are ones you would also want to walk across. Even a two lane in each direction road will commonly have a turning lane or two, making the intersection a 5 to 6 lane wide crossing.
- jghn 3y ago
  I spent time in a couple of midwestern cities this year and was shocked at how wide the streets were. It was mind-blowing to me, coming from a city in the northeastern US. The typical road was wider than the "highways" we have near me (not interstate, but they are numbered state routes). It also threw me off when walking as I could see I'd have to go a couple of blocks but every road crossing took a few minutes. Invariably I'd have to wait at least one light cycle, perhaps 2 if I was crossing both angles. And those light cycles were long. The worst part was that it was rare to see much vehicular traffic at all except during some key times. What a waste of space.
  - oblio 3y ago
    The insane part is that there are in many cases NO trees along the road. Lawns everywhere, concrete. Ok, maybe a few trees, think 1 tree every 20m, and barely any bushes. A chance to contain that madness and sound levels, but nah, gotta see the huge billboards clearly from kilometers away... I had to walk down one of these roads in Denver, let me see if I can find it. W Alameda Avenue. 7+ lane for a lot of its length. Super sad walk.
apocalyptic0n3 3y ago
9 lane intersections are extremely common in Phoenix. 3 lanes in each direction, 2 lanes for a left turn, and 1 lane for a right turn. Often times there will be a small median where one could wait out a light, but not always. Scottsdale @ McDowell[1] is an example of one without. If you pan around to any of the major intersections (every 1.25 miles in each direction, generally), they are pretty much all this large. 1: https://maps.app.goo.gl/K4Qs5EtTp8Ms6DyC8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/K4Qs5EtTp8Ms6DyC8

lotsofpulp 3y ago

They are everywhere in suburban USA. Arterial roads, such as those lined with big box stores and shopping plazas, are commonly 3 lanes in each direction at 40mph speed limits (which means cars are driven at 45mph+), plus turning lanes. Your best case scenario is the crossing being ~56ft, but 70ft+ crossings are normal for busy intersections. Which are ones you would also want to walk across. Even a two lane in each direction road will commonly have a turning lane or two, making the intersection a 5 to 6 lane wide crossing.

jghn 3y ago
I spent time in a couple of midwestern cities this year and was shocked at how wide the streets were. It was mind-blowing to me, coming from a city in the northeastern US. The typical road was wider than the "highways" we have near me (not interstate, but they are numbered state routes). It also threw me off when walking as I could see I'd have to go a couple of blocks but every road crossing took a few minutes. Invariably I'd have to wait at least one light cycle, perhaps 2 if I was crossing both angles. And those light cycles were long. The worst part was that it was rare to see much vehicular traffic at all except during some key times. What a waste of space.
- oblio 3y ago
  The insane part is that there are in many cases NO trees along the road. Lawns everywhere, concrete. Ok, maybe a few trees, think 1 tree every 20m, and barely any bushes. A chance to contain that madness and sound levels, but nah, gotta see the huge billboards clearly from kilometers away... I had to walk down one of these roads in Denver, let me see if I can find it. W Alameda Avenue. 7+ lane for a lot of its length. Super sad walk.

apocalyptic0n3 3y ago

9 lane intersections are extremely common in Phoenix. 3 lanes in each direction, 2 lanes for a left turn, and 1 lane for a right turn. Often times there will be a small median where one could wait out a light, but not always. Scottsdale @ McDowell[1] is an example of one without. If you pan around to any of the major intersections (every 1.25 miles in each direction, generally), they are pretty much all this large. 1: https://maps.app.goo.gl/K4Qs5EtTp8Ms6DyC8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/K4Qs5EtTp8Ms6DyC8