Returned Stanhope signs us up to the International Charter for Walking

Unless we have body-armoured footpath guards blasting dog shit and sticks off the path from my place to the shops, I’ll be continuing to use my motorised wheelchair, thankyou all very much!

I suppose we do walk further and further from the few remaining civic car parks. And through the ever-increasing civic mall.

Another day, another target. Meh.

As others have already said – giving poeple somewhere to walk TO would be a great start.

What a string of failures we keep setting ousrlves up for: No child in poverty by 1990, NoWaste by 2010, NoGas by 2050 (Stanhope’s greenhouse gas emissions). What do we call this then, NoCars by 2020?

Then themind starts to wander: NoSchools by 2020, NoSmoke by 2030(pollution control), NoDams (oops, that was the Franklin, and they won)… ok time to stop now.

Yay, more meaningless crap from the local council!

Anyway, most Canberrans walk enough each day already: from the front door to the car, from the car to the office – and vice versa in the afternoon.

First thing we’ll need is a map of the safe walking paths. The walking paths seem to be the best places to steal some lone walker’s mobile phone and wallet.

Cool. We look forward to Stanhope demonstrating at the end of 2011 that at least five per cent of trips to work by the politicians and staff of the Assembly were walking trips. The year 2011 starts in two months, Assemblyans! Caroline LeCouteur will of course be walking every day, being the exemplar.

Ohhhh if only a typo had been made in ‘walking’

Proper pedestrian crossings in the city and elsewhere would help, e.g. when walking around London Circuit at the enterence to the bus interchange pedestrians (best for environment) have to woit for busses (not as good). Many other pedestrian ways in the city require pedestrians to wait for vehicles.

However I am sure Johnboy is correct, the charter is more about international travel for JS and wife.

Making sure that the footpaths to the local shops are maintained would also add to that start.

Having rangers/inspectors to check randomly that the footpaths (provided out here on only one side of the street) are not blocked by parked cars would be another.

Block size and built designs that allow for adequate offstreet parking to avoid blocking the footpaths would be even better. Won’t happen because they can’t accept that out here the public transport is woeful.