I wish people who yard sale would watch what they are doing. This morning, while I was walking just off of Corbett Road, some lady turned into Lee Chase for the yard sales. As she was driving down the road, she kept coming closer and closer to me and I kept moving over more and more. She obviously was looking over at the yard sale across the road and not paying attention. I think the only reason she stopped is because her husband/boyfriend yelled at her. She had to slam her brakes on so she didn't hit me, throws up her hands and yells oh my. Be warned, next time my reaction will not be so pleasant. I leave each day and tell me husband I'll be back in an hour and if I'm not, come find me. I walk 6 out of 7 days a week on Corbett Road. Why is it that people cannot slow it down. I had a person last night driving on the opposite side of the road swerve to the side of the road I was walking on. The speed limit is 45 and drops to 35 so why is it people cannot slow it down to the speed limit, especially when someone is walking. No I am not taking up the freakin lane, I am on the side, just outside the white line I even had a neighbor almost clip me with his mirror. Sorry for the rant but this is getting old. I even thought about carrying small rocks and each time someone got too close, I would throw the rock to make my presence known but I know two wrongs don't make a right, but it should would be nice to make my presence known. So I guess my warning is this - hit me and I will not hesitate to sue your butt - maybe then and only then one might understand that he/she should have taken the time to slow down to begin with. (There, I feel better now)
:iagree: If only there were sidewalks...*sigh. When I grew up back in the day, we had sidewalks and curbs so roads were more clearly defined, and pedestrians were welcome. We took strolls with baby carriages, roller skated with the skates with keys, and played in the gutter with toy boats after an afternoon shower. Life was much less complicated back then I guess
I agree about sidewalks. This should be one improvements towns should be doing with stimulus money. There are still many busy thoroughfares that lack sidewalks. Walking and biking are often promoted as an alternative to driving short distances (not to mention the healthy aspects of it) but state and local governments really don't seem to do their part when it comes to financially supporting it.
My neighborhood is great to walk/run in, but my husband always makes me take pepper spray with me after dark (which is when I usually end up walking because the kids are in bed). I have this fear that I'm going to freak out and spray it in my own face if someone approaches me!!! So far, I haven't had to use it.
I wish there were more sidewalks. Even in our subdivision there are not any sidewalks. Guess over time, it got "too expensive" for the sidewalks...:evil: Even for bus stops, kids have to stand by the road instead of on a sidewalk.
Complete Streets Act I am a true believer in writing to my legislators hoping it will do some good somewhere. Source--AARP Advocacy at AARP.org What's at Stake: Our nation's transportation infrastructure is broken and needs to be fixed. Between 1993 and 2003, nearly 52,000 pedestrians and more than 7,400 bicyclists were killed in road accidents; studies show that designing streets with pedestrians in mind may reduce pedestrian risk by as much as 28 percent. Unfortunately, among the people most hurt by inadequate roads and transportation choices are older Americans. The mobility of many older Americans is undermined by crosswalks that are too long, communities without sidewalks, and bus stops that are too dangerous to approach on foot. A recent AARP poll found that 47 percent of Americans over age 50 said they could not safely cross main roads near their homes. Almost 40 percent said their neighborhoods do not have adequate sidewalks, while another 55 percent reported no bike lanes or paths, and 48 percent reported no comfortable place to wait for the bus. In 2005, older Americans made up 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. Lack of access to safe streets, roads, and public transportation undermines the health and well-being of older Americans. More than 50 percent of older Americans who do not drive stay home on a given day, in part because they lack transportation options. Non-driving seniors make 65 percent fewer trips to visit family, friends, or go to places of worship. And many report that they don't ask for rides for fear of burdening family and friends. With the number of Americans age 65 and over expected to rise to 20 percent of the nation's total population, America needs safe and accessible transportation choices. The health and well-being of our nation's children also suffers at the hands of our poor transportation infrastructure. As recently as 30 years ago, up to 70 percent of children were walking or riding bikes to school. Currently, the number has dropped to only 10 percent. Parents report that traffic safety is the main reason they do not permit their children to walk or bike to school. Lack of physical activity among children has caused a major spike in cases of diabetes, childhood obesity, and other preventable diseases. For the heath and well-being of all—particularly that of children, people with disabilities, and older Americans—we urge federal legislation that will keep motorists, transit vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians safe. Legislative Summary The Complete Streets Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in the Senate, and by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) in the House of Representatives, ensures that future transportation investments made by the states' departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations promotes "complete streets," or those that are safe for all of the people using them—including motorists, bus riders, pedestrians, and cyclists of all ages and abilities. The legislation requires the states' departments of transportation and MPOs to adopt complete streets policies for federally-funded projects within two years. These complete streets policies must ensure that the needs of all users of the transportation system are taken into account during the design, planning, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, maintenance, and operating stages of transportation project implementation. The legislation also gives state, regional, and local jurisdictions the flexibility to exempt certain projects from complying with complete streets policies. Projects may be exempted from complete streets principles if users are prohibited by law from using a given right-of-way (such as walkers on freeways), if the cost of implementing complete streets principles would be prohibitive, or if the existing and planned population and employment densities around given roadways are low enough that complete streets are not needed. AARP Position AARP supports the Complete Streets Act. This legislation will give midlife and older Americans many more options, besides driving themselves, to travel safely to their destinations. A recent AARP poll found that more than half (54 percent) of older adults who reported inhospitable walking, bicycling, and transit environments outside their homes said they would walk, bicycle, and take public transit more if their streets were improved. A majority of older people support complete street policies. Legislative Timeline AARP's goal is for the Complete Streets Act to be included in the reauthorization of the surface transportation law, which expires on Sept. 30, 2009.
