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Comment on Should Australian cities adopt car-free days? - ABC listen

abhibeckert@beehaw.org ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

This, 100% this.

I’m not disabled, but I was a full time carer for my mother who was disabled for years before she passed away from complications. Cities with pedestrian only areas were, in practice, a nightmare whenever we visited them… which we rarely did because life was so hard there.

And it’s especially bad when it’s a temporary setup, just on the weekend/etc. If you want to have a pedestrian only area then make it pedestrian only 24/7/365. That way whatever issues there are (stairs/etc) will actually be removed instead of just “oh I’ll do that when the market isn’t open”.

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fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

which we rarely did because life was so hard there

I took the alternate route and put myself in the middle of the city. Can't fuck with me as much when there are fewer metres involved.

And it’s especially bad when it’s a temporary setup. If you want to have a pedestrian only area then make it pedestrian only 24/7/365.

Agreed. The pedestrianisation of George St was successful because there were alternate parallel routes to use, public transport was built in, and additional permanent public accommodations built.

The idea of especially King St Newtown shutting down temporarily is horrifying. If for no other reason than emergency services getting stuck in endless one way lanes. That's before we get to the overcrowded public transport and totally fucked paths.

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- abhibeckert@beehaw.org ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  I took the alternate route and put myself in the middle of the city. Can’t fuck with me as much when there are fewer metres involved.
  
  Which city though?
  
  For example, in some European cities I’ve visited (and struggled with a wheelchair) the “ground” floor is commonly about waist high off the ground and properties might be too small (e.g. the width of a single bedroom) with no front yard at all so they just can’t have a ramp up to the ground floor at all. And you can’t add an elevator either because it’s a heritage listed area of the city and you can’t modify the 200 year old brick building.
  
  It’s, obviously, easy enough to find a home for yourself in those cities that does work… but all your friends and family won’t live in a wheelchair compatible home and 90% of the businesses won’t be wheelchair compatible either. Shopping, in those cities, means the person in a wheelchair waits out on the footpath while someone else goes into the business to buy stuff for them.
  
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