• @[email protected]
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    2411 months ago

    Your title is a big lie. “One simple step”?

    1. Install left gate
    2. Install right gate
    3. Add traffic signs
    4. Add pedestrian icon to street

    See, this is at least 4 steps! I call bullshit!

    /jk

    In all seriousness, this is indeed great. Next step is to remove some of the now unneeded asphalt and replace it with greenery

  • @fpslem
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    711 months ago

    This sort of treatment costs so little to install, just a few thousand euros and political will. And the tragedy is that most towns could easily come up with the former but can’t muster the latter.

    • @fpslem
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      811 months ago

      Naw, people on foot and on bike mix pretty well, it’s the 2±tonne metal cages that ruin cities.

      • @[email protected]
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        811 months ago

        No. Lots of people think pedestrians have to get out of the way of bicyclists.

        Additionally, the crashes hurt and people can be killed regardless of the participants, so separation is good.

        • @[email protected]
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          811 months ago

          Yeah if I’m biking on a sidewalk I’m making sure to not bother pedestrians. Bike is a guest there.

        • @[email protected]
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          11 months ago

          the crashes hurt and people can be killed regardless of the participants

          Not what I recall from accident stats, assuming Belgium is somehow representative. Bike and pedestrian hardly lead to death, same for bike and bike, only bike and cars did.

          I’m obviously not advocating for bikes to go anywhere without respecting others (my own rule of thumb is to be always be more mind of the small or slower people share the space) but I don’t think considering risk regardless of participants is realistic either.

          TL;DR: yes I prefer separation whenever possible but there is a big difference between separating car with others.

          • @[email protected]
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            511 months ago

            From what I recall there are some documented deaths due to bicycle/pedestrian collisions. Mostly old people who can’t really afford to eat a faceful of pavement.

            The reality is that it’s situational. A 10 m wide street with a peak of maybe 100 people/hour of traffic (like the OP) is not a 2 m wide path with 1000 people/hour of traffic. Segregating traffic in the former is way overkill, in the latter it’s absolutely necessary for public safety. Cyclist/pedestrian conflicts are a real problem that not only causes injuries but also simply makes pedestrians feel unsafe, which is unfair.

          • @[email protected]
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            111 months ago

            I expect most bike and pedestrian accidents are not reported. None that I know of had been reported. No deaths, but a lot of pain caused by irresponsible people.

  • Zagorath
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    011 months ago

    I’m concerned that that entrance is uncomfortably narrow for a bike. Or even for two pedestrians walking side-by-side.

    My city has recently been removing its banana bars at the entrance to pedestrian and shared paths, and honestly it’s so much better. You don’t need to be as narrow as this to keep cars out.