2 ms·

I stayed at a place in the US a few years ago where I should have been able to walk the half mile to the grocery store but there was no path through the neighbo

I stayed at a place in the US a few years ago where I should have been able to walk the half mile to the grocery store but there was no path through the neighborhood to the strip mall where it was located, and there was no sidewalk on my side of the highway that was the other option.

alamortsubite 3y ago
In much of the U.S. this is totally normal. Most people aren't even aware that situations like this exist, as they never walk anywhere themselves.
ToucanLoucan 3y ago
My home is like that right now. There's a grocery store maybe 10 minutes walk from here, but we always drive because the final leg of the trip goes over a busy thoroughfare that includes a roundabout, and people in my area are dangerous as shit at roundabouts. I've been nearly hit there almost every time I dare to make the trek.
- ghaff 3y ago
  I live about a mile from a grocery store. But it's a mile on a busy country road with no sidewalk and through an interstate interchange. It would be taking your life in your hands to walk. I also remember one time I was staying at a hotel and could see the mall and restaurants across the street but I think it was a 6 lane road with literally no way to cross. And, yeah, roundabouts are often dangerous for pedestrians. There's a lot going on and often no good controlled pedestrian crossings.
- toast0 3y ago
  > people in my area are dangerous as shit at roundabouts That's cause roundabouts are terrible. The design goal is for cars to merge into the circular lane without stopping. In order to do that, drivers need to be looking in the direction the circular lane traffic comes from. But there may be pedestrians crossing from the other side, which most likely won't be seen until it's too late. You can make the pedestrian crossing safer by moving it away from the circle, but then you've added inconvenience if pedestrians want to travel straight along a road, or want to travel to the corner properties; and pedestrians will likely not follow inconvenient paths (statement of fact, not a judgement). You can build up fences and what not, but that's a lot of expense and people are going to circumvent those too. A signalled intersection, with responsive pedestrian buttons, and reasonable car detection would probably have better outcomes for everyone in less space.

alamortsubite 3y ago

In much of the U.S. this is totally normal. Most people aren't even aware that situations like this exist, as they never walk anywhere themselves.

ToucanLoucan 3y ago

My home is like that right now. There's a grocery store maybe 10 minutes walk from here, but we always drive because the final leg of the trip goes over a busy thoroughfare that includes a roundabout, and people in my area are dangerous as shit at roundabouts. I've been nearly hit there almost every time I dare to make the trek.

ghaff 3y ago
I live about a mile from a grocery store. But it's a mile on a busy country road with no sidewalk and through an interstate interchange. It would be taking your life in your hands to walk. I also remember one time I was staying at a hotel and could see the mall and restaurants across the street but I think it was a 6 lane road with literally no way to cross. And, yeah, roundabouts are often dangerous for pedestrians. There's a lot going on and often no good controlled pedestrian crossings.
toast0 3y ago
> people in my area are dangerous as shit at roundabouts That's cause roundabouts are terrible. The design goal is for cars to merge into the circular lane without stopping. In order to do that, drivers need to be looking in the direction the circular lane traffic comes from. But there may be pedestrians crossing from the other side, which most likely won't be seen until it's too late. You can make the pedestrian crossing safer by moving it away from the circle, but then you've added inconvenience if pedestrians want to travel straight along a road, or want to travel to the corner properties; and pedestrians will likely not follow inconvenient paths (statement of fact, not a judgement). You can build up fences and what not, but that's a lot of expense and people are going to circumvent those too. A signalled intersection, with responsive pedestrian buttons, and reasonable car detection would probably have better outcomes for everyone in less space.