Short Crosswalks

I am keen to share examples of some of the great infrastructure we observed while away on our big trip.

Roads have been built in the past to get drivers from point A to B as fast as possible, with little regard for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and those using mobility devices. I recall reading a Tweet where a child asked their parent why the sidewalk always ends, but the road never does. Great point, kid! Municipalities are working on this problem, but until dangerous roads are the exception and not the norm, we need to keep talking about ways to improve.

Often, when we cross a street, we need to look for right, then left, then again right turning drivers to make it across safely. Depending on the direction we are crossing, the left turning drivers are coming at us from behind. Designing shorter road crossings, especially ones that cross a stretch of road where vehicles are only going in one direction, helps a lot.

Here are some examples including using lighting, refuge islands, bump outs, texture, road markings, signs and signals to slow drivers.