Was just looking at the New York Times this morning and they had an article covering a hit and run accident in Florida where 2 children were killed and two were injured. Apparently pedestrian deaths due to automobiles are increasing in Florida. Blame is being placed on sprawling suburbs, year round tourism, and a lack of crosswalks and sidewalks. The problem is summed up in the quote from Christopher Hagelin a researcher in urban transportation, “I think essentially we have created an environment geared to the automobile, and in a way, we have almost created an environment that is hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists.”
All this smacks of where I grew up. Though the area is completely residential there are no sidewalks. You have to walk on the shoulder of the road or in gutters. At some intersections pedestrian crossing was forbidden. This was very dangerous for children. All of your friends were spread out, so even with a bike it was a danger. It was honestly saver to have someone drive you. Even here in Boston where sidewalks and crosswalk abound, I always have to step out in front of cars to even get them to stop. One would hope that with increasing emphases of conservation and minimization of car use in a city, that drivers would keep an eye out. Maybe a pipe-dream.
