Sidewalk in Bethesda to keep kids and adults safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone tell me what are the arguments against the sidewalk? Who in their right
mind would oppose them?

Is it a mindset based on - no sidewalk, less pedestrian traffic near my property?
Or in general.. I hate people and sidewalk means people?
Or is it no sidewalks- no snow showering?

What is it? How anyone would like to live this day and age in the urban area where
people have to hope on the grass when a maniac drive by 60mph, where there
is no safety zone, dedicated for pedestrian called side. wallk. so they can walk
safely, jog, stroll, walk the dogs, walk with kids.. SAFELY?

What kind of mentality is this?

Good grief. Because while I'd guess most people would welcome sidewalks, retrofittign them into existing, old neighborhoods poses significant challenges, which have been itemized at length in this thread.

The most significant challenge is neighbors who mobilize to fight sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you lock your doors at night or do you just count on murderers and burglars following the rules?

In addition, it is easy to say "just put in sidewalks" but sidewalks are very expensive and the truth is there a limited amount of resources. When you do have a sidewalk things can still happen as we had with the boy biking on Old Georgetown. If the sidewalks were wider and there was a wall between the traffic and the sidewalk it would be even safer so where do you stop? The fact of the matter is that people are fallible and imperfect and accidents are going to happen even with the best of preparation and intentions. I have a friend who fell down the stairs and died. It would be safe to build every home on one level but we don't because the risk is worth it to us. Everything has a cost benefit analysis attached to it. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do every day. When there is an accident and someone in a smaller or cheaper car is killed we don't say "Every citizen has a right to a really safe car" but more people die in cars than being hit by them. Is it worth $500 million (guess) to install sidewalks in all of MoCo when you could spend that money on repairing major roadways so there are fewer crashes or on subsidizing affordable housing for citizens? There are choices to be made. We can't have everything.

You stop when it's safe.

We spend a vast amount of public money every year on a transportation system that is not safe. Please don't make excuses for it.

If a lack of sidewalks had caused these two recent accidents then it would happen way, way more often. Freak accidents happen, no matter what you do to be safe.

It does happen way, way more often. You just don't know about it. Drivers have killed 14 pedestrians so far this year in Montgomery County. Drivers have struck over 612 pedestrians and bicyclists so far this year.

This was not a "freak accident".

This doesn't prove sidewalks had anything to do with these two accidents, or any of the other accidents you mention. And yes, a child being run over by a school bus is a freak accident. No, they are not common accidents that we just don't know about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you lock your doors at night or do you just count on murderers and burglars following the rules?

In addition, it is easy to say "just put in sidewalks" but sidewalks are very expensive and the truth is there a limited amount of resources. When you do have a sidewalk things can still happen as we had with the boy biking on Old Georgetown. If the sidewalks were wider and there was a wall between the traffic and the sidewalk it would be even safer so where do you stop? The fact of the matter is that people are fallible and imperfect and accidents are going to happen even with the best of preparation and intentions. I have a friend who fell down the stairs and died. It would be safe to build every home on one level but we don't because the risk is worth it to us. Everything has a cost benefit analysis attached to it. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do every day. When there is an accident and someone in a smaller or cheaper car is killed we don't say "Every citizen has a right to a really safe car" but more people die in cars than being hit by them. Is it worth $500 million (guess) to install sidewalks in all of MoCo when you could spend that money on repairing major roadways so there are fewer crashes or on subsidizing affordable housing for citizens? There are choices to be made. We can't have everything.

You stop when it's safe.

We spend a vast amount of public money every year on a transportation system that is not safe. Please don't make excuses for it.

If a lack of sidewalks had caused these two recent accidents then it would happen way, way more often. Freak accidents happen, no matter what you do to be safe.

It does happen way, way more often. You just don't know about it. Drivers have killed 14 pedestrians so far this year in Montgomery County. Drivers have struck over 612 pedestrians and bicyclists so far this year.

This was not a "freak accident".

This doesn't prove sidewalks had anything to do with these two accidents, or any of the other accidents you mention. And yes, a child being run over by a school bus is a freak accident. No, they are not common accidents that we just don't know about.

School buses killed 117 people in 2018.

And the only thing different about being killed by a car driver turning right and being killed by a bus driver turning right is that buses are bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you lock your doors at night or do you just count on murderers and burglars following the rules?

In addition, it is easy to say "just put in sidewalks" but sidewalks are very expensive and the truth is there a limited amount of resources. When you do have a sidewalk things can still happen as we had with the boy biking on Old Georgetown. If the sidewalks were wider and there was a wall between the traffic and the sidewalk it would be even safer so where do you stop? The fact of the matter is that people are fallible and imperfect and accidents are going to happen even with the best of preparation and intentions. I have a friend who fell down the stairs and died. It would be safe to build every home on one level but we don't because the risk is worth it to us. Everything has a cost benefit analysis attached to it. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do every day. When there is an accident and someone in a smaller or cheaper car is killed we don't say "Every citizen has a right to a really safe car" but more people die in cars than being hit by them. Is it worth $500 million (guess) to install sidewalks in all of MoCo when you could spend that money on repairing major roadways so there are fewer crashes or on subsidizing affordable housing for citizens? There are choices to be made. We can't have everything.

You stop when it's safe.

We spend a vast amount of public money every year on a transportation system that is not safe. Please don't make excuses for it.

If a lack of sidewalks had caused these two recent accidents then it would happen way, way more often. Freak accidents happen, no matter what you do to be safe.

It does happen way, way more often. You just don't know about it. Drivers have killed 14 pedestrians so far this year in Montgomery County. Drivers have struck over 612 pedestrians and bicyclists so far this year.

This was not a "freak accident".

This doesn't prove sidewalks had anything to do with these two accidents, or any of the other accidents you mention. And yes, a child being run over by a school bus is a freak accident. No, they are not common accidents that we just don't know about.

School buses killed 117 people in 2018.

And the only thing different about being killed by a car driver turning right and being killed by a bus driver turning right is that buses are bigger.

How does this help your point? Both of these kids were hit while crossing the street. They weren't walking along the side of the road and the vehicle didn't drive up on the side of the road. Sidewalks would not have helped them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you lock your doors at night or do you just count on murderers and burglars following the rules?

In addition, it is easy to say "just put in sidewalks" but sidewalks are very expensive and the truth is there a limited amount of resources. When you do have a sidewalk things can still happen as we had with the boy biking on Old Georgetown. If the sidewalks were wider and there was a wall between the traffic and the sidewalk it would be even safer so where do you stop? The fact of the matter is that people are fallible and imperfect and accidents are going to happen even with the best of preparation and intentions. I have a friend who fell down the stairs and died. It would be safe to build every home on one level but we don't because the risk is worth it to us. Everything has a cost benefit analysis attached to it. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do every day. When there is an accident and someone in a smaller or cheaper car is killed we don't say "Every citizen has a right to a really safe car" but more people die in cars than being hit by them. Is it worth $500 million (guess) to install sidewalks in all of MoCo when you could spend that money on repairing major roadways so there are fewer crashes or on subsidizing affordable housing for citizens? There are choices to be made. We can't have everything.

You stop when it's safe.

We spend a vast amount of public money every year on a transportation system that is not safe. Please don't make excuses for it.

If a lack of sidewalks had caused these two recent accidents then it would happen way, way more often. Freak accidents happen, no matter what you do to be safe.

It does happen way, way more often. You just don't know about it. Drivers have killed 14 pedestrians so far this year in Montgomery County. Drivers have struck over 612 pedestrians and bicyclists so far this year.

This was not a "freak accident".

This doesn't prove sidewalks had anything to do with these two accidents, or any of the other accidents you mention. And yes, a child being run over by a school bus is a freak accident. No, they are not common accidents that we just don't know about.

School buses killed 117 people in 2018.

And the only thing different about being killed by a car driver turning right and being killed by a bus driver turning right is that buses are bigger.

How does this help your point? Both of these kids were hit while crossing the street. They weren't walking along the side of the road and the vehicle didn't drive up on the side of the road. Sidewalks would not have helped them.

Seriously, what's your anti-sidewalk kick here? Drivers are hitting and killing lots of people. Sidewalks help prevent that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you lock your doors at night or do you just count on murderers and burglars following the rules?

In addition, it is easy to say "just put in sidewalks" but sidewalks are very expensive and the truth is there a limited amount of resources. When you do have a sidewalk things can still happen as we had with the boy biking on Old Georgetown. If the sidewalks were wider and there was a wall between the traffic and the sidewalk it would be even safer so where do you stop? The fact of the matter is that people are fallible and imperfect and accidents are going to happen even with the best of preparation and intentions. I have a friend who fell down the stairs and died. It would be safe to build every home on one level but we don't because the risk is worth it to us. Everything has a cost benefit analysis attached to it. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do every day. When there is an accident and someone in a smaller or cheaper car is killed we don't say "Every citizen has a right to a really safe car" but more people die in cars than being hit by them. Is it worth $500 million (guess) to install sidewalks in all of MoCo when you could spend that money on repairing major roadways so there are fewer crashes or on subsidizing affordable housing for citizens? There are choices to be made. We can't have everything.

You stop when it's safe.

We spend a vast amount of public money every year on a transportation system that is not safe. Please don't make excuses for it.

If a lack of sidewalks had caused these two recent accidents then it would happen way, way more often. Freak accidents happen, no matter what you do to be safe.

It does happen way, way more often. You just don't know about it. Drivers have killed 14 pedestrians so far this year in Montgomery County. Drivers have struck over 612 pedestrians and bicyclists so far this year.

This was not a "freak accident".

This doesn't prove sidewalks had anything to do with these two accidents, or any of the other accidents you mention. And yes, a child being run over by a school bus is a freak accident. No, they are not common accidents that we just don't know about.

School buses killed 117 people in 2018.

And the only thing different about being killed by a car driver turning right and being killed by a bus driver turning right is that buses are bigger.

How does this help your point? Both of these kids were hit while crossing the street. They weren't walking along the side of the road and the vehicle didn't drive up on the side of the road. Sidewalks would not have helped them.

This may not be true. I live in the neighborhood where the young girl was killed. Rather than running across the street, there have been recent reports that she ran back towards the bus along the side of the road after initially walking away. It seems she was trying to get something she left on the bus. We may never know, but if this is true and she had been running back to the bus on a sidewalk instead of in the street, this may never have happened.