Slowing for pedestrians is not too much to ask

The international symbol for “Seriously?” involves elbows down, arms raised and palms outstretched with an outraged look on your face. It’s one people make often on the roads of Connecticut when they encounter dangerous drivers, especially when they don’t have the protection of a car themselves.

Some places have sidewalks. My town is not one of those places.

That lack of sidewalks — or, better yet, a separate pedestrian/bicycle path running adjacent to the road — means I share the street with cars while running or walking my dog. My road is a through street, which means all manner of vehicles can be found at different hours of the day. You never know quite what you’re going to get with each one until it’s right in front of you.

Most cars slow down and, if approaching from in front of me, move to the other side. If that isn’t possible — say, there’s another car coming in the opposite direction — the car moving toward me has a few choices. That driver could slow down, wait for the oncoming car to go by, and then pass me with plenty of room to spare. This is what you might call the humane option.

The other choice is to simply trust that everyone will get out of the way and proceed through the problem area at your previous rate of speed. This is more common than I’m comfortable with, and leads to the above-mentioned gesture.

What does it cost someone to slow down and wait for another car to pass before allowing room for a pedestrian? Is it 10 seconds? Maybe 30, at the upper limit? Unless you’re driving around with a human heart awaiting donation in a cooler on your backseat, you can probably spare the 30 seconds.

Sometimes they don’t want to wait, but decide against charging through. This is when they get outraged. How dare you, they seem to be saying, take up space on a street that clearly belongs to me? Don’t you know streets are for cars?

It never seems to enter their thought process that an encounter between a person driving a two-ton vehicle and someone who is not is only going to end one way. If there’s cause for outrage, it does not belong to the person behind the wheel.

The wonder is that these interactions aren’t more frequent. Connecticut is a car-dependent state, which is a sad truth considering we’re also one of the most densely populated states. This isn’t Arizona or Utah, where suburbs can spread endlessly into the desert (water depending). We’re tightly packed, as these things go, and yet in the majority of our neighborhoods, to get anything from a gallon of milk to a bite to eat, you need to get in your car.

Even a few pedestrians in a setting like that will mean the potential for trouble, especially when sidewalks are hard to find, even as walkers and bikers have just as much right to public space as anyone.

This is about more than ranting. The way our streets are designed poses a threat to the people who use them, and that includes those who drive. Put aside pedestrians for a minute — the danger there is clear. Drivers, too, could use a break.

Traffic engineers who for years pushed for streets to be straightened and obstacles removed have improved safety in some respects, but also made matters more dangerous by encouraging everyone to drive faster. The chances of a crash on a twisting road may be higher, but the odds of dying go up as cars go faster.

And my 12-year-old wonders why we don’t want him riding his bike to his friend’s house down the street.

There are signs the state recognizes these are serious problems. A new law that took effect last year puts the onus on drivers to yield to pedestrians who want to cross the street, and an initiative is underway to improve safety at a number of intersections statewide deemed unsafe, including in Shelton and Bridgeport. Cities are increasingly interested in “complete streets” planning. But the overall picture remains the same.

And it may not be something that can be dealt with by passing a law. Getting behind the wheel makes people more impatient, less accommodating and more likely to push the envelope of safety. Even people who were pedestrians themselves just moments ago find themselves irritated at people trying to walk where their cars are trying to go. Nearly everyone who drives has experienced such emotions.

The key, then, is to keep uses separate when possible. Build bike lanes, and keep them away from vehicular traffic. Open trails. Close streets, at least sometimes. Give people a safe place to walk and they’ll make use of it.

The alternative is the status quo, where every walker is worried about the next car approaching. Is it too much to ask for people to slow down?