To feel sad at how much worse life is for pedestrians than it was ten years ago

[Fragmentedbrain]

Cars (especially Ubers for some reason?!) no longer reliably stop

Consequences for drivers who hit a pedestrian are minor - you won't necessarily go to jail "the first time" you kill someone and you'll have your licence back within a decade (why not banned for life???)

Roadworks used to prioritise keeping a pedestrian walkway but now it's common for one side of the pavement just to be abruptly cut off, forcing a walk across the road through traffic

And don't even get me started on bicycles on the pavement, "shared spaces" (ie spaces for bullies to race at speed on their bikes while those on foot are expected to scatter). I was actually planning a holiday to Japan until a colleague told me how unsafe the pavements have become in the last few years because of this.

It's the world over as far as I can see (although if you live in an exception could you let me know so I can visit please??) and it just feels like a big part of the dehumanisation of public life and spaces :(

Don't go to holland then

I would love to

But in london, no sorry, its insane to havw your baby on the back of your pedal bike

And sticking them in the back of a fumy car is better? How many accidents involve kids on the back of bicycles?

What if the accident is the pedestrians fault? I live near a secondary school. The amount of teens that suddenly step out in front of cars with their heads in phones in unbelievable

Surely the kid on the bike would be more susceptible to fumes

It never will be their fault
pedestrians are at the top of the hierarchy even when they are blind/deaf to the danger around them
the other road users must always be aware and responsible for them as they are most vulnerable even if they won’t take responsibility for themselves

I’m only a pedestrian because I can’t see properly to be anything else. I can’t say I’ve found things considerably worse just different. I don’t like shared paths as it is hard for me to see cyclists and then there are the ones just cycling on normal pavements.

Cars are much more dangerous but less likely to be be moving on the pavement. Everyone is looking at screens, and it is more dangerous. That includes me if I’m in a new place. Before I’d have looked at a map for a route, maybe printed it. Now I’m using the phone. I do try to be careful and move to the side to pause, not just stop in the middle of the pavement.

Due to necessity I think visually impaired and blind pedestrians are some of the most aware people and there is bad and stupid behaviour from all.

What is a "floating bus stop"? I've never heard of them.

Mind you, I'd never heard of a "bus gate", either, that bit of ignorance cost me £30!

And you can easily hear most cars coming, bikes are near silent.

I think electric cars should make more noise, too.

A bus stop separated from the pavement by a cycle lane. So, it resembles an island, 'floating' between the cycle path and roadway.

This was one of the reasons I hated London, It's just not built for humans (except the South Bank, Embankment etc).

I moved to Hampshire. I can walk or cycle to work, across a common, down a green lane, through a farm, along a tow path. There are no fumes, no people parking on pavements, no thirty six wheel lorries, no homicidal taxi drivers, no road rage. Just calm and bird song.

Thanks.

I suppose that makes sense from the cyclists' point of view, as they don't have to go round buses and risk getting hit by cars, but does it put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by bikes as they cross to the bus stop?

The government really needs to do something about the all the parking on pavements.

There are some housing estates that are designed with pavement parking in mind.

But elsewhere, pavements are for feet, not wheels. The other day I went out to join my running club session and someone had fully parked over the entirety of the pavement on a reasonably busy road near my house. Tosser.

And they often start to move when you are approaching, too.

I see workmen parked on them too but they could stop briefly to get their tools out and then park somewhere safer.

A few years back I had an altercation with a Sainsburys delivery van driver who parked on the pavement on a busy road (on double yellows and opposite the entrance to a petrol station, too). He really couldn't see what my problem was.

Also agree that pavements suddenly get blocked by workmen with no warning.

And drivers need to remember that pedestrians crossing side roads, openings or driveways have priority and they wait until they've crossed (and if you aren't going to wait, don't dawdle for ages either - turn in and go).

I live in Hampshire and there's an epidemic of pavement parking!

Potentially, yes. They're common in other countries and work well. It's worth noting, of course, that cyclists are especially vulnerable while overtaking buses at bus stops, eg a bus suddenly pulling out may strike the cyclist and drag them under the wheels or force them into the opposite lane, or if the cyclist hesitates or stops to allow the bus to pull away, they may be struck from behind.

My young child was hit by a cyclist on the promenade at Bournemouth. He was quite hurt. To be fair the cyclist was very apologetic and I think he was hurt as well but shared spaces are a nightmare IMO. Could have been a lot worse.

I used to work in a city centre, right next to the national cycle route and I had to cross it twice plus two roads when walking from the bus stop to the office. Every car stopped at the red light and the majority stopped at the zebra crossing. The bikes never stopped at their red light or at their zebra when I was crossing. Most would ding their bell and not even try to slow down. It was infuriating! Their red/amber/green lights were even shaped like mini bikes clearly showing that it was for them to stop. I swear half of them had no idea it was even there.

But there's not you can do when they walk into the SIDE of your car

Japan is absolutely fine - as said a few times above.

It's similar in nature to Finland: https://www.politico.eu/article/helsinki-no-traffic-death-roads-eu-accident-finland-driving-transport/ where there are tons of cyclists, scooter riders and pedestrians sharing space.

From when I have visited the UK in recent years, I have to say: it is the cars!

My word, such a car-mad nation, full of entitled drivers! The infrastructure is poor because drivers are given every benefit. The attitude of drivers is poor as hell - don't dare to hold them up a few seconds! It is the cars. The cars and the total car infrastructure. It needs pulling apart, and not concessions given here and there with pedestrian space taken for cyclists. Need to take the space from the cars. It's as someone said above - walking in London is not that stressful - I agree. I think because there are so many pedestrian roads and pathways, bridges, etc. There are also some wide pavements, even in zone 1 - I guess a hangover from when pedestrians were much more common than traffic.

A good YT on Prague and how it is prioritising cars....and not in a good way:

Perhaps it's helpful to know that bike brakes are nowhere near as effective as car brakes, stopping distances are very different. Not excusing bad cyclists, but they just cannot stop suddenly if someone steps out in front of them.

I think that the whole concept of shared paths has been badly handled, they have mostly been done on the cheap and there simply isn't enough space for everyone to have their fair share. I have witnessed some monumentally stupid pedestrian behaviour, stepping out without looking, can't hear verbal warnings because they've got earphones on.

All road users need to be much more aware of each other.

I agree. The video of cyclists flying through the zebra crossing in London whilst pedestrians are trying to cross to floating bus stops is insane. Loads of the them on electric bike and lots look illegal and when one does stop there is an accident because stopping is so unexpected. At least TFL is putting a halt to them for now, of course Glasgow is still going ahead and putting in floating bus stops on roads they are redeveloping.

i have noticed the council investing some money in pedestrian safety here, it all corresponds with safe walking routes to schools. Councils have increased free school bus distance to 3 miles but have to keep offering buses if there is no safe route so suddenly junctions are having money thrown at them.

Definitely cyclist behaviour is far worse. I've been "commuting" by walking a mile along our nearby canal towpath for the past 20 years or so. Ever since covid, it's been a nightmare with ever greater numbers of cyclists barging past walkers with no regard at all, often at high speeds. Never used to be like that - it used to be just slow older cyclists or families with young children. Now it's dominated by entitled lycra louts seemingly trying to beat their personal speed records and not giving a shit about anyone else.

@TonTonMacoute

Perhaps it's helpful to know that bike brakes are nowhere near as effective as car brakes, stopping distances are very different. Not excusing bad cyclists, but they just cannot stop suddenly if someone steps out in front of them.

Presumably, the cyclists know this and should therefore be cycling at an appropriate speed so that they CAN stop for any obstacles etc., and certainly when they are in close proximity to pedestrians, give pedestrians more space, etc.

And you are responsible for not hurting them. You don't NEED to drive, they need to walk.