Sidewalk in Bethesda to keep kids and adults safe.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do we even know sidewalks had anything to do with this? It sounds from the Bethesda Beat article like the bus hit her while it was turning right. Unless the driver was steering the bus into someone's yard, there wouldn't be sidewalks in the intersection anyway, right? I would guess she ended up in the bus's blind spot.

This is what I heard. Perhaps this tragedy happened due to the drivers blind spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

The obvious? Kids hop off the bus into the street where if they were on a raised sidewalk, its a clear separation from pedestrians and vehicles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

I live in a neighborhood with no sidewalks. We always walk on the side of the road. It’s impossible to walk consistently on the grass. For one, I would feel like I am trespassing. More important, the grass can be soggy, muddy, there are obstacles like occasional fences, decor, etc in yards, driveways with cars, and different elevations / slopes. It’s really not that feasible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

I live in a neighborhood with no sidewalks. We always walk on the side of the road. It’s impossible to walk consistently on the grass. For one, I would feel like I am trespassing. More important, the grass can be soggy, muddy, there are obstacles like occasional fences, decor, etc in yards, driveways with cars, and different elevations / slopes. It’s really not that feasible.

Agree. And even though the first 6-8 feet are supposed to be clear there are usually county planted trees or bushes in the way. Our neighborhood is hilly so our piece by the road is only about 4 feet wide before it turns into a steep slope. On one side there is a utility pole with a bush next to it on our neighbors side. You can’t get through there. And on the other side is our narrow stone wall driveway where we have to park at the end of in order to open the car doors. Then the next neighbor has tons of brush/ ivy down to the street.

[Anonymous]

If it is a huge issue to you, why did you buy a house in a neighborhood without them? You can't expect the county to just come in and change that for you..the county is way in debt!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it is a huge issue to you, why did you buy a house in a neighborhood without them? You can't expect the county to just come in and change that for you..the county is way in debt!

It’s not an issue for me but potentially is for the kids in the neighborhood. Maybe sidewalks wouldn’t have prevented the 9 year olds death but I see kids in the street every day after getting off the bus. And at this time of year some of them, especially the high school kids, are walking to the bus stop in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a dedicated thread to the topic in title for all of those
who feel the gravity of the issue and for lack of better palatiform started
posting in the sympathy forum. Please post all the relevant thoughts here
instead. Thank you.

Do you go around self-categorizing other threads, too?

No. Do you go around and impose your attitude on people in mourning for lack of better things to do?

Suggestion: create a space for your purpose, rather than declaring an existing space to be for a purpose that it was not originally designated. Otherwise, it is a Karen move. Like declaring “This part of the park is now for yoga. Go play frisbee with your dog over there.”

Exactly. DCUM isn't a place for proper mourning. That's what Facebook is for. That's what your friends are for.

[Anonymous]

In our neighborhood, it took a kid being struck by a car for Montgomery County to put in a sidewalk. There have been no pedestrian accidents after the sidewalk was installed. Perhaps petition the County Council or give a statement to the Board of Education in support of sidewalks where they are the main pedestrian route or an area that school busses drop off children for school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

Because the alternative is walking in the road where people drive motor vehicles.

People who are able-bodied can walk on grass if they must, but why should they have to? And people who have disabilities need pavement.

Roads that aren't safe for kids to walk to school on, aren't safe roads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it is a huge issue to you, why did you buy a house in a neighborhood without them? You can't expect the county to just come in and change that for you..the county is way in debt!

Yes, you can. "Why'd you buy a house on a road with no sidewalks?" is an inadequate response to a public-safety issue. The county has a responsibility to provide roads that are safe for everyone.

[Anonymous]

A driver just hit a teenager on Montrose Road in Rockville. The teenager has life-threatening injuries.

[Anonymous]

I will get flamed for this but kids need to be taught safety. They can't be ushered across the street by crossing guards. I know things happen and NOTHING can prevent an accident from occurring occasionally but crossing the street is a life skill these kids need to master before something like this happens. Crossing guards who stop traffic for kids to cross are doing them a disservice. They need to learn to cross an intersection that is fully functional.

Again, I know I'll get flamed for this but the crossing guards who stop traffic instead of working with traffic -- i.e., holding the kids on the corner until the light changes and then helping them cross, instead of STOPPING traffic that has the right of way -- don't help them learn this important life skill.

Again, not saying that has anything to do with yesterday's terrible accident -- just an observation I've made since my DC started school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of places don't have sidewalks. Why should Bethesda be different?

And lots of places have pedestrians killed by vehicles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain again why sidewalks keep kids safe? I've honestly never thought about them like that before. I thought it's so people could push strollers etc. Someone said if they don't have sidewalks then kids will always walk on the actual road instead to get to school. Is that right? Why don't they walk across the grass?

The obvious? Kids hop off the bus into the street where if they were on a raised sidewalk, its a clear separation from pedestrians and vehicles.

Umm ... yeah. This is the entire logic of sidewalks in the first place. Do you really need this explained, PP? A raised surface is more difficult for vehicles to accidentally turn onto.

This is a horribly tragic situation, and it makes me that much happier that we live in a neighborhood with sidewalks.