I have mixed feelings when it comes to sidewalks. Many of the argument in favour of sidewalks seem hard to refute. Then one encounters the huge dichotomy between the promise and the reality. This is a dichotomy that should not exist.
I've noticed that folk using wheelchairs in my suburb are as likely to be on a road as on a sidewalk. One some streets, like my court, the wheelchair user has no choice. There is no sidewalk. But on others streets, the sidewalk is impassable while the roadway is well plowed.
For this reason, I've been a promoter of the woonerf concept, at least for small courts and culs-de-sac. Today I discovered that there is another approach: the Swedish one. In Sweden they try to clear sidewalks first and they have added another argument as to why. Clearing sidewalks first is a move towards gender equality.
More women than men use sidewalks. This means the number of woment injured falling on sidewalks rendered treacherous by weather is far greater than the number of men injured. If you watch the first part of the following Swedish video, you will understand the Swedish position.
2 comments:
Makes sense to me.
Here they seem hellbent on ensuring the bike lanes get cleared first.
For, what? Maybe one hundred people in the city crazy enough to bike in the winter?
As a pedestrian only, I prefer having sidewalks clear, but often it's the last to be thought of.
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