Dude, before cars and accessibility, they died.
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Yes, in many places they get wheeled from their house to mobility bus parked at the curb with a special lift. Since Iâve never lived anywhere that didnât have access to a road within a few metres I donât know how they do it elsewhere. I imagine before cars they were classed as âbedriddenâ or âhouse boundâ and left to sit at a window and watch the world go on without them. The unlucky ones probably died.
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You realize that there are large parts of major European cities, parts that pre-exist cars, where the roads are only as wide as this proposal? I really doubt the infirm in these areas are simply abandoned to their own devices.
Youâll also note that these proposed roads are wide enough for an ambulance or emergency vehicle.
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So youâre saying that in the parts of Barcelona and Paris where Iâve been where the streets are this wide, they abandon the elderly and infirm? Really? I call bullshit here.
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Okay, Iâll bite. France has gotten better, but until very recently has lagged dramatically
The ADA, see sections 1.2 and 1.3. http://www.ada.gov/taman3.html
Wow, there are websites with databases on accessible roads.
And Universal Access specifically calls for more road space, not less.
http://www.humantransport.org/universalaccess/page3.html
(Rude ad hominem incoming, because I believe strongly on this issue).
Alter abled are âhumansâ too. So âhuman based citiesâ should be able to accommodate them. Pull your head out of your ass.
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The solution to the sf housing crisis is to Build Up in redwood city, San Mateo, east Palo alto, and Menlo park.
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I live in such a city, luckily not in the area with that narrow streets. They suck. And to add insult to injury, those gloriously narrow streets feel claustrophobic.
And you wonât get decent sunlight there. Maybe for ten minutes at two days of year.
And the GPS signal sucks there too.
Unless the road is clogged with some other object. Having enough space is generally a good idea, when it comes to roads.
Not everyone can walk that well, whether permanently (health, fatigue syndromeâŚ) or temporarily (injury, I heard those are quite common). Then there are those pesky things like hauling groceries, replacement server, or a sheet of steel. Or whatever you need often. Not exactly comfortable to do it manually, day by day.
If everybody who wanted personal space moved to Burbank, thereâd be no personal space left in Burbank and weâd be back on square one.
Just get the bloody self driving cars working and be done with itâŚ
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One last, then Iâll quit. The national health services in both countries you mention will already help the unable and infirm. It doesnât work that way in the states, we have already abandoned them.
So, to narrow streets, you must:
Replace 40% of cars.
Replace public transit.
Figure out new novel ways of complying with the ADA.
And overhaul our health system.
I want all of those. But the dependency tree is immense, and needs to be done in stages (or agile Sprints, if you like :D)
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How would this negatively impact those with disabilities?
People with disabilities are far more dependent on automobiles and transportation. Having access to street level parking for their transportation and being able to park in front of their homes and apts.
And itâs not just those with medical certified disability.
It might be hard to believe nowâŚbut eventually youâll wake up with a sleeping injury because you slept funny.
And soon youâll hear the doctor say the phrase:
ââŚwellâŚas we get olderâ
I have this problem with most âbikeâ centrist city planing. Because itâs mostly focused on the young and healthy.
Older people and people with disabilities are usually not even considered but the brave new young city planners with big ideasâfor young people that are mobile and healthy.
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Fatal problem - SF would never approve the new development in the middle. Lack of development approval, not lack of space, is why SF and the rest of the Bay Area has this problem now.
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CSB: I love driving in rural England. I looove it. The narrower the road, and the larger the farm equipment that I have to emergency pass the better.
I was in Cornwall and decided to check out Port Isaac. The road goes down at something like a 35% grade, one lane (but surprise, its two!) Down to a harbor, and make a several blind turns going back up the hill surrounded by tourists. It is a horseshoe road, and very touristy.
I am not gonna brag (Iâm gonna brag) but I think i am the only American who could have pulled that road off without scraping or hitting someone without prior practice.
I have gotten very good at slamming on an ebrake and reversing up hills while being pursued by combines and Lorries.
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At heart, people like the IDEA of warrens of tiny streets because they have never lived there and probably wouldnât be forced toâŚunlike the poor people who canât afford to move to Burbank. They seem romantic and appear colorful and friendly and vibrant in movies and novels. But notice that so far everyone who has commented from experience hates them.
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I find it odd that the all the âsolutionsâ to San Francisco tech crunch for housing involves 20th century mind set of actually LIVING in San Francisco.
Maybe the solution doesnât depend on rebuilding the cityâs structureâŚbut restructuring corporations to allow globalization across the nation and world.
Because the perception is that if youâre arenât in Silicon ValleyâŚyou arenât really a contender.
The solution to SFâs housing problem is simpleâŚstop housing your code monkeys there.
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Eugene Oregon would love your code monkeys. Excellent university, nice airport, same time zone, and similar cultures. Plus we have seasons.
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Ah, memories of driving down single track lanes in Cornwall (and West Scotland), meeting a truck, horse-box or whatever, and reversing 300 yards back to the pull-in spot, getting going again, then meeting someone else at the same spot. Over and over again.
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Iâve driven all over cornwall and Scotland, but know where still gives me shivers?
(Oh gawd I am actually shaking)
Devon.
Only place where it is safer to drive at night (barely). Cause you can see the headlights. Doesnât work for the cows though.
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Devon?
No, canât place it.
(not that Iâm Cornish(ish), or anything).
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If everythingâs close together, as higher density allows, an electric wheel chair or scooter that moves at walking pace is perfectly adequate.
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Well, since out of the two of us, I suspect that Iâm the only one with a mobility impairing spinal injury, go screw yourself.
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Except people want to live in SF, not those cities. I live in the area, I think I understand the local dynamic.
