Pedestrian safety put into spotlight | The Columbus Dispatch

In florida, ive been a pedestrian for years due to my health. Its the most dangerous area Ive ever lived in for walking and I come from chicago. Its the drivers and the engineering, but most of all its the florida laws. The pedestrian should always have the right of way, and here its never, even most of the time in a cross walk. Ive been hit 7 times at cross walks and stop signs, and learned to never, never cross where theeres a car. Always cross between streets when theres little or no traffic. Here in florida if youre walking youre at fault. The polititions should be in jail for this alongside the engineeres and police for lack of enforcement for the few laws that do favor pedistrians. Walking tword traffic is the law, but Ive had to dodge and get hit with beer cans and oranges, and even one fist from a window. We ought to be allowed to carry guns for defense!!!

I agree that engineering of pedestrian and bicycle safety into central Ohio projects (including so called "improvements") is woefully lacking. And it will never improve without an increase in awareness of the problem. That needs to start with enforcement of the current regulations. Law enforcement units routinely pass cars stopped in, and across, crosswalks as well as parked in bike lanes and do nothing about it. This leads to the belief that the laws are there for show only.

We drive everywhere in central Ohio because it is unsafe to walk or ride. And it is unsafe because so much emphasis is placed on driving everywhere. Nice paradox!

Even the safe walk to school programs are hampered by having to be routed where there are sidewalks and crosswalks instead of putting sidewalks and crosswalks where the children need to go. Very few children are going to go out of their way to get anywhere - just ask the homeowners who have them cut through their yards regularly.

I can't stand that so many streets don't have sidewalks! What the heck is wrong with Upper Arlington? There are a lot of streets there without sidewalks...so people are forced to walk in the street, or on the fancy grass over there. Crazy...

And everyone says that Roundabouts are safe...hogwash! They are designed so that the drivers don't stop!

Urban Columbus is fairly walkable, but could and should be better. The suburbs are just shameful. Sawmill road was retooled just a couple of years ago and they put in no sidewalks, but yet spent money on cross walk signals. Interestingly enough it's the suburban areas annexed by Columbus that are the worst.

Sometimes its almost hilarious. I dropped my car off last week for service and decided to walk home.

Stopping at the intersection of East Broad and Reynoldsburg-New Albany Rd. I dutifully hit the button to cross Broad Street. I then waited but didn't know what I thought would happen as there is no walk/don't walk light attached to the button! I still don't know what it does!

I ended up waiting until I was looking at a green light and then doing a nifty job of broken field running to get across the street.

I walk about 6 blocks from my house to a COTA bus stop, which is located adjacent to a high school here in Columbus. Nearly every day, a car tries to run me down or turn into me. I stop and look, and I wear light colored clothing to make myself visible. This is in a residential neighborhood with a speed limit of 30 mph, and cars regularly exceed 40mph. I used to walk and bike a lot more until local drivers seemed to stop paying any attention. And yes, I do drive.

stempie wrote:

I walk about 6 blocks from my house to a COTA bus stop, which is located adjacent to a high school here in Columbus. Nearly every day, a car tries to run me down or turn into me. I stop and look, and I wear light colored clothing to make myself visible. This is in a residential neighborhood with a speed limit of 30 mph, and cars regularly exceed 40mph. I used to walk and bike a lot more until local drivers seemed to stop paying any attention. And yes, I do drive.

Is it the same car? Maybe it's somebody you know. Maybe there's a hit out on you.

No. I meant 'a car' as in whatever vehicle happens to be around. About 4 years ago I did file a police report for someone who did hit me, in a different area of the city.

The only place they barely look for pedestrians is downtown! And even then, its only because they have to wait - there's a lot of people in the crosswalks. Still have to be careful for all the drivers who don't drive downtown every day - and don't realize they're supposed to wait! Us walkers have to be aware, I've had some close calls.

People turning right on green in the downtown area, usually get stopped at the first traffic signal. There is no need to race as soon as they get the green signal. People are just slow learners for some reason.