Taming the Automobile
by Richard Untermann
How we can make our streets more "pedestrian friendly" by developing a network of sidewalks and crosswalks and by learning to control the automobile.
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In thinking about what makes for a good pedestrian street, three
basic questions should be asked: Is the street functional? Is it
safe? and Is it comfortable?
Functional streets necessarily involve both cars and
pedestrians. Because cars have become integral parts of our
lives, we have many specialists with large budgets making sure
that drivers can move to and from their daily activities. Yet
these drivers eventually become pedestrians, an important but
often overlooked component of functional streets.
Very little attention has been given to the functional needs of
pedestrians -- witness the often deplorable maintenance or lack
of sidewalks, the narrowness of sidewalks, and their obstruction
by poles, fences, garbage cans, and illegally parked cars.
Witness also the long waiting times at crosslights. A well
functioning pedestrian street also needs: land uses along it
that provide for daily shopping; access to public transport;
places where pedestrians can wait and easily cross the street;
sufficient sidewalk width; and adequate parking.
Pedestrian safety is also critical. The safer pedestrians feel
on the street, the more they will use it. Being safe means not
being in actual danger. Most streets in American towns have
sufficient warnings and actual barriers between people and cars
that accidents can be avoided. But feeling safe and comfortable
on the street has to do with the perception of danger. If
traffic volumes and speeds are intimidating to pedestrians, they
will not feel comfortable using the street.
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