"I didn't run you over, so you need to calm down!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks but I haven't given any advice on this thread. I actually don't find it that challenging to walk across the road.

It's good that it's not challenging to walk across the road where you walk. I wish that in most places, it weren't challenging to walk across the road. But unfortunately, in many places, even in DC (let alone the suburbs and exurbs), I personally find it quite challenging to walk across the road.

Fixed that for you. I don't have the same experience.

Probably because you're walking across different roads, eh?

I'm the PP you're responding to, and no, it's not me personally. Nobody finds it unchallenging to walk across 6-lane or 8-lane roads with where people drive 40 mph or faster, with intersections with slip lanes, double left turn lanes, walk signals that don't give you enough time to cross, rounded corners so drivers can turn at 30 mph, no sidewalks, marked crosswalks where you have to cross 3 roads in order to get across the road, etc.

Even in downtown Bethesda and downtown Silver Spring, which ought to be great for walking, people are getting hit all the time. Unless you're looking at the data, you have no idea.

You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

You're right. The answer is to make the roads smaller, with slower speeds. That's how to make them safe for pedestrians.

Pedestrian bridges

1. cost a lot of money
2. take up a lot of room
3. and aren't used by pedestrians, because they're inconvenient and make people feel unsafe

So they don't make sense. Spend the money on effective solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

There are hundreds of miles of roads like that just in Montgomery County alone.

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/03/30/instead-of-a-pedestrian-bridge-how-about-a-street-that-works-for-walking-biking-and-transit/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Ok well we had 20 kids slaughtered in their classroom awhile back and hundreds of kids since then and we can't/won't pass any gun legislation.
We can't/won't finance our public schools properly.
So while you wait on the will and the funding to change all the millions of miles of roadways, I'm gonna keep my head up and pay attention. Just like while we all try to raise better boys, I'm gonna teach my daughter self defense, common sense safety and get her some mace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

You're right. The answer is to make the roads smaller, with slower speeds. That's how to make them safe for pedestrians.

Pedestrian bridges

1. cost a lot of money
2. take up a lot of room
3. and aren't used by pedestrians, because they're inconvenient and make people feel unsafe

So they don't make sense. Spend the money on effective solutions.

Not going to happen with congestion in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

You're right. The answer is to make the roads smaller, with slower speeds. That's how to make them safe for pedestrians.

Pedestrian bridges

1. cost a lot of money
2. take up a lot of room
3. and aren't used by pedestrians, because they're inconvenient and make people feel unsafe

So they don't make sense. Spend the money on effective solutions.

Not going to happen with congestion in this area.

You're ok with dead and injured pedestrians, then? Because that's the trade-off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Ok well we had 20 kids slaughtered in their classroom awhile back and hundreds of kids since then and we can't/won't pass any gun legislation.
We can't/won't finance our public schools properly.
So while you wait on the will and the funding to change all the millions of miles of roadways, I'm gonna keep my head up and pay attention. Just like while we all try to raise better boys, I'm gonna teach my daughter self defense, common sense safety and get her some mace.

Yes, of course you should do that. It's better than not doing it. But it's no guarantee. And telling other people to do it is not only no guarantee, it's ineffective. All it does is place the burden of not getting run over on the pedestrian, which is exactly where it doesn't belong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cars have blind spots.
I try to be careful and go slowly for that reason. I almost ( slowly ) hit someone in a parking lot recently. They were just in the perfect spot to not be seen.
Scary stuff.
Of course I didn’t yell at them.

That happened to me once too when I was pulling out of a parking garage- I did see the person when they moved out of my blind spot and stopped but was close to hitting them and it scared the sh-t out of me. I rolled down the window and apologized profusely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Ok well we had 20 kids slaughtered in their classroom awhile back and hundreds of kids since then and we can't/won't pass any gun legislation.
We can't/won't finance our public schools properly.
So while you wait on the will and the funding to change all the millions of miles of roadways, I'm gonna keep my head up and pay attention. Just like while we all try to raise better boys, I'm gonna teach my daughter self defense, common sense safety and get her some mace.

Yes, of course you should do that. It's better than not doing it. But it's no guarantee. And telling other people to do it is not only no guarantee, it's ineffective. All it does is place the burden of not getting run over on the pedestrian, which is exactly where it doesn't belong.

Agreed. Cars are faster than pedestrians and often there is simply not time to get out of the way when they come out of nowhere, barrel through a red light, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You need to be advocating for pedestrian bridges for roads this large. We will never eliminate pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads that large with speeds that fast. Were not getting rid of cars. But there are safer ways to cross large intersections if everyone make these requests a priority.

I’d also love it if we’d adopt the European (maybe just British?) method of cars in all directions stop at the same time and pedestrians cross all together in all directions. That is really the only safe way for right and left turns to happen.

You're right. The answer is to make the roads smaller, with slower speeds. That's how to make them safe for pedestrians.

Pedestrian bridges

1. cost a lot of money
2. take up a lot of room
3. and aren't used by pedestrians, because they're inconvenient and make people feel unsafe

So they don't make sense. Spend the money on effective solutions.

Not going to happen with congestion in this area.

You're ok with dead and injured pedestrians, then? Because that's the trade-off.

It’s actually not. But if you’re the PP with the list above, dead and injured pedestrians would be applicable because of your list as well. I’m also not sure how you think it’s too expensive to install pedestrian bridges but you think there are funds to alter roads? And the 3rd option just proves the point so many have made on this thread that pedestrians refuse to take measures they control to make themselves safer. It’s really mind boggling that it was listed as if it was a reasonable point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s actually not. But if you’re the PP with the list above, dead and injured pedestrians would be applicable because of your list as well. I’m also not sure how you think it’s too expensive to install pedestrian bridges but you think there are funds to alter roads? And the 3rd option just proves the point so many have made on this thread that pedestrians refuse to take measures they control to make themselves safer. It’s really mind boggling that it was listed as if it was a reasonable point.

Making roads safer for pedestrians - for example, by adding bus lanes, bike lanes, and bump-outs - is cheaper than building bridges.

And pedestrians don't use pedestrian bridges because, like other human beings using other modes of transport, they are unwilling to take measures that are inconvenient, indirect, and unsafe. Pedestrian bridges don't work.

So, if you're unwilling to make the roads safer, what's your suggestion for preventing dead and injured pedestrians?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Ok well we had 20 kids slaughtered in their classroom awhile back and hundreds of kids since then and we can't/won't pass any gun legislation.
We can't/won't finance our public schools properly.
So while you wait on the will and the funding to change all the millions of miles of roadways, I'm gonna keep my head up and pay attention. Just like while we all try to raise better boys, I'm gonna teach my daughter self defense, common sense safety and get her some mace.

Yes, of course you should do that. It's better than not doing it. But it's no guarantee. And telling other people to do it is not only no guarantee, it's ineffective. All it does is place the burden of not getting run over on the pedestrian, which is exactly where it doesn't belong.

Agreed. Cars are faster than pedestrians and often there is simply not time to get out of the way when they come out of nowhere, barrel through a red light, etc.

People drive their cars into trees. People drive their cars into bridges. People drive their cars into buildings. You name it, people drive their cars into it. This suggests that pedestrian behavior is not the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

It works. Your way, unfortunately will get people killed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

It works. Your way, unfortunately will get people killed.

People are getting killed. Pedestrian deaths are higher than they've been in decades.

Here's what works: modifying the roads so that people drive more slowly, and adding high-quality facilities for people who are walking and biking.

Here's what we've been doing for decades, it hasn't worked, and it's continuing to not work: telling people to be sure to look both ways before they cross the street.