Local pedestrians outraged by unsafe car spaces in a major city!
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- Replies 14
The traffic situation in Australia can be stressful. It's no wonder, with a combination of trucks, cars, and crowded roads doing their best to rain on everyone’s parade.
The pedestrian experience can depend just as much on the same roads cars ply, and recently, local walkers in a major urban centre have had reason to be very alarmed.
The danger? Unusual, obstructive parking spaces that, according to many, are quite a hazard.
Rebecca Clements, a Sydneysider from Inner West, recently took to social media to share her anger at the commotion the ‘appalling’ parking spaces had been causing in the area.
![Screenshot 2023-12-06 143640.png Screenshot 2023-12-06 143640.png](https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/data/attachments/36/36760-45ccc631cc03e3313ae366de15e40457.jpg)
These parking spaces take up the entire footpath, preventing pedestrians from walking on the side of the road where they usually would.
As Rebecca's partner found out the hard way, this causes congestion, and it can be a terrifying experience for those on two legs.
‘Two parking spaces take up the entire footpath, sending pedestrians into the middle of the street,’ Clements wrote.
'My partner was nearly hit by a big SUV not giving way at all,' she said.
People on social media were also outraged by the car spaces hindering the footpath.
'This is appalling—cars should never be allowed to park on a footpath,' one person said.
‘I understand some people may have more cars than can fit in their driveway, but in that case, don’t live on these narrow streets,’ another wrote.
‘The bloody irony of completely blocking the footpath and painting “give way to pedestrians” on the road,’ one added.
A spokesperson from Inner West Council eventually responded to Rebecca's complaints, and they explained that the road features were located in a 10km/h zone shared between vehicles and people.
‘These (shared zones) were implemented as some streets are very constrained, and there were issues such as insufficient footpath width, informal footpath parking, pedestrians walking on the road and insufficient road width for emergency vehicle access,’ they said.
‘This resulted in Council seeking to treat streets with line marked parking bays and 10km/h restrictions to make it safe to use the roadway for all road users.’
‘These facilities are approved through TfNSW, Traffic Committee and Council and have been rolled out over the last 20 years in our Council area.’
What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments below!
The pedestrian experience can depend just as much on the same roads cars ply, and recently, local walkers in a major urban centre have had reason to be very alarmed.
The danger? Unusual, obstructive parking spaces that, according to many, are quite a hazard.
Rebecca Clements, a Sydneysider from Inner West, recently took to social media to share her anger at the commotion the ‘appalling’ parking spaces had been causing in the area.
![Screenshot 2023-12-06 143640.png Screenshot 2023-12-06 143640.png](https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/data/attachments/36/36760-45ccc631cc03e3313ae366de15e40457.jpg)
Car spaces in the Inner West outraged people on social media as they take up walking lanes for pedestrians. Image: X / @Rebecca Clements
These parking spaces take up the entire footpath, preventing pedestrians from walking on the side of the road where they usually would.
As Rebecca's partner found out the hard way, this causes congestion, and it can be a terrifying experience for those on two legs.
‘Two parking spaces take up the entire footpath, sending pedestrians into the middle of the street,’ Clements wrote.
'My partner was nearly hit by a big SUV not giving way at all,' she said.
People on social media were also outraged by the car spaces hindering the footpath.
'This is appalling—cars should never be allowed to park on a footpath,' one person said.
‘I understand some people may have more cars than can fit in their driveway, but in that case, don’t live on these narrow streets,’ another wrote.
‘The bloody irony of completely blocking the footpath and painting “give way to pedestrians” on the road,’ one added.
A spokesperson from Inner West Council eventually responded to Rebecca's complaints, and they explained that the road features were located in a 10km/h zone shared between vehicles and people.
‘These (shared zones) were implemented as some streets are very constrained, and there were issues such as insufficient footpath width, informal footpath parking, pedestrians walking on the road and insufficient road width for emergency vehicle access,’ they said.
‘This resulted in Council seeking to treat streets with line marked parking bays and 10km/h restrictions to make it safe to use the roadway for all road users.’
‘These facilities are approved through TfNSW, Traffic Committee and Council and have been rolled out over the last 20 years in our Council area.’
Key Takeaways
- Locals in Sydney's Inner West have expressed frustration over car spaces that obstruct footpaths and pose a safety risk to pedestrians.
- Some have experienced near collisions due to the parking zone setup, pushing pedestrians onto the street.
- Community member Rebecca Clements took to social media to share images of the car spaces infringing on footpaths.
- Inner West Council has defended the parking setup, stating it is a 10km/h shared zone, and such spaces were implemented due to issues like insufficient footpath width and insufficient road width for emergency vehicle access.
What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments below!