The ABC reports that the Canberra Pedestrian Forum are up in arms about new draft plans for pedestrian and cycle routes proposed for the ACT. Leon Arundell from Canberra Pedestrian Forum says “Many of Canberra’s 64,000 school children and 10,000 bus commuters can’t even get to a bus stop without walking on the road”. So the CPF seems to be asking for a footpath on every road in Canberra?!? Maybe we need an underpass every time a footpath crosses a road too? This is just another example of user conflict and non-sharing attitudes on the roads which we have seen numerous times with cyclists. Motorised vehicles are required to give way to all pedestrian traffic, so do we really need footpaths on all suburban streets?
Nice exaggeration there Kramer.
Some roads are not wide enough for two cars and safe passage for pedestrians – these roads need footpaths, mainly due to parking on a verge (or two wheels on the road, two wheels on the gutter) being legal but parking on a footpath being illegal. So in suburbs like Campbell where streets are narrowed by cars parking on both sides, with the off-road route blocked by gardens, it’s pretty much a case of taking your chances with the traffic.
There was no suggestion of adding footpaths to every road – many roads that don’t have footpaths already have nice wide shoulders so there is safe passage for pedestrians. There was no suggestion of adding underpasses – can you provide a link to anywhere that the Pedestrian Forum has made any such statement?
This isn’t about “nonsharing cyclists”, this is about nonsharing car drivers parking their cars on the verge (thus creating choke points) and blocking safe use of the road by pedestrians.
But don’t let the facts get in the way of a sensationalist headline
The headline is no more sensationalist than the headline from CPF “Last chance to ask for a footpath”, or their statement “This month may be your last chance for seven years to ask the ACT Government for a footpath on your street”. Seven years? Reality check please…
The current review is expected to lead to a six year project starting next year (2010-2016), which is where that statement comes from. So yes, your headline was rather sensationalist, theirs wasn’t. Unless you think that it’s suitable for the government to set up a six year plan, then just change it as they feel? If so, what’s the point of planning a long-term project in the first place? The plan has to be finalised so that budgets can be prepared, contractors can be contracted, and path/roadworks can be scheduled ahead of time.
People wanting to get the facts might want to visit the TAMS website: http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/sustainable_transport_action_plan/walking_and_cycling
Read the plans. If you feel there are changes that need to be made in order for your commuting route to be safer or more accessible, make sure you send your comments to the address provided on the TAMS website.
What good are new footpaths if the current ones aren’t being maintained?
As a frequent pedestrian walking with young children and pushing a pram, yes, I’d love a footpath on every street and an underpass under every major road.
Kramer, you might be able to get around easily and walk around parked cars and scoot through traffic, but bear a thought for those less confident and mobile such as children, the elderly, the physically disabled or vision impaired.
I don’t have footpaths (due to gardens to the edges), but it’s only a concern to me when there is a curved road, and I wonder if I’m going to be collected/collect someone if the car deosn’t go down the middle of teh road
I managed to get myself to and from the bus stop as a kid without footpaths and underpasses. All it takes is a bit of common sense when it comes to roads
and here is was thinking that was what the nature strip, that people seem to have a problem tending to was for.
S4anta said :
The problem arises when the nature strip is routinely populated by parked cars, or people have taken over the nature strip as extra garden space, thereby affording no access to pedestrian traffic.
Inappropriate said :
I agree! The current round of “maintenance” for the concrete footpaths appears to be simply grinding the edges until the path is too thin to grind any more off it. As usual, if you see a problem make sure it’s reported to through their easy-to-remember Canberra Connect URL:
http://www.contact.act.gov.au/cgi-bin/canberraconnect.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=F6lSTI*h&p_accessibility=0&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD04OSZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTE*
The shorter version goes like this: Open the web page at https://www.contact.act.gov.au/ then click the “Submit a question or feedback” tab.
Bluenomi said :
That’s all well and good, I used to ride on the roads without a helmet! Roads are busier now though. When I was a kid, having two cars was a luxury for rich families. These days most families have two cars, and most of them have mobile phones to boot!
GnT said :
my thoughts exactly + 1
Vehicles parked on the verge is just an excuse for some parkour practice.
be good if they also spent some money on resources to ping cars what park wily nilly on footpaths/nature strips already there to maybe encourage non-blocking of access for pedestrians, some of whom are none so nimble, as gnt notes. especially builders [re pinging for illegal parking, that is, not nimblelessness...]
No point in building more footpaths until the govt takes seriously the need to stop cars parking on them.
“Motorised vehicles are required to give way to all pedestrian traffic…”
Huh? Learn something new everyday I guess.
This is also very much about non sharing gardeners blocking the pedestrian access.
Fine, take pride in the verge but leave the required way through.
Holden Caulfield said :
Maybe this is the problem. How many people in Canberra are aware of this road law? Would roads be safer if this was respected?
At astrojax, if roads were not so narrow, maybe people would not have to park on nature strips. I have no problem with the wheel on one side of the verge park where there is only a spoon gutter. Allows the other road users easier access.
Grail, I wasn’t a kid walking to school that long ago, most people had 2 cars and mobiles then. Plus my younger siblings still manage to walk to school without footpaths now, the ‘back in the old days it was different’ excuse doesn’t wash!
Why shouldn’t every street have a footpath – Queanbeyan did this years ago.
Not everyone can traverse grassed nature strips easily – people in wheelchairs, elderly, people with prams etc.
tidalik said :
If this is the case, and absolutely the case, then why bother with pedestrian crossings and little green/red men at traffic lights?
I’ve just had a quick read of the ACT Road Rules Handbook [http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/driver_licence/Road_Rules_Handbook] and nowhere did I see any blanket rule that says “motorised vehicles are required to give way to all pedestrian traffic”, or similar.
For footpaths (and many other examples), yes, but not absolutely.
I read Kramer’s comment as being motorists must give way to pedestrians at all times. And re-reading his original comment I still come to that conclusion, even though he was earlier talking about the merits of footpaths. The comment was a bit misleading (or at least, I thought it was, haha).
I look forward to anyone finding the part in the handbook that says, for example, pedestrians can cross any road at any point of their choosing and the motorist is obliged to give way.
Everyone is obliged to avoid a collision if they can, it does not matter if the other party is in the wrong.
I guess I was thinking only of suburban roads where there is no footpath and pedestrians do have right to walk on roads.
Agree with HC that as a blanket rule (if it is one) it would be impractical and dangerous in practice.
Aeek said :
Yeah, but that opens up discussion to an unwritten rule that far too many people seem unaware of – common sense!
There are no footpaths on my street. While trying to negotiate the uneven terrain, I have sprained my ankle on two separate occasions in the last ten years (once very badly)less than a block from my front door. I may be more prone to this type of injury than the average person since I have low muscle tone, but I benefit greatly from keeping active. Unfortunately it is harder for me to be active in my own street. But at least I am still fairly young and fit, unlike the older people who live around me.
I might add that I too have had children who’ve, like most kids, managed to get to school and back without major incident or injury. But of the nearly three and a half km they had to negotiate each day, our own street caused me the most worry.
I can certainly see the need for footpaths.