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But. all I see in that picture, is a stairway going down, and right back up again to the sidewalk.
Both stairways lead to the underpass across the road. They face different directions in order to make it more conveniant for pedestrians; I would imagine. I think I'm starting to know where your username comes from.
Both stairways lead to the underpass across the road. They face different directions in order to make it more conveniant for pedestrians; I would imagine. I think I'm starting to know where your username comes from.
I usually don't rep for insults but that was hilarious!
Minsk is quite walkable, to my mind. I live here and have no problems with walking
But yeah, the city is different from West European cities, as it lacks real historic center with narrow old streets etc. As it was mentioned here, it was seriously destroyed by the Nazis during World War II.
So we have many broad avenues, but I think it's just nice to walk along them, especially in the center.
Unserground or overground passes through motorways are very common throughout Europe.
Perhaps because you can't make a one-level interchange on a motorway. Moreover, motorways in modern Europe are meant to bypass cities or, if there is no other option but the enter the city, motorways are hidden in the tunnels etc. In that Moscow case we had an usual (but wide) street so in my opinion using underground or overground passes to cross an ordinary street is like putting cars over pedestrians (well, actually literally it is too). I mean, in that case, people on wheelchair have no option to cross the street! Same to elderly people who may have problems with going up and down.
In Western Europe it works quite reverse for the past 20 years. Traffic is supposed to bypass cities, many streets are out of traffic (pedestrian + bicycle only), roads are being narrowed and cars have to stop each time someone wants to cross the street.
All European cities are walkable except "New Towns" away from the center. You can walk in those New Towns, but most people take public transportation to the "city".
Perhaps because you can't make a one-level interchange on a motorway. Moreover, motorways in modern Europe are meant to bypass cities or, if there is no other option but the enter the city, motorways are hidden in the tunnels etc. In that Moscow case we had an usual (but wide) street so in my opinion using underground or overground passes to cross an ordinary street is like putting cars over pedestrians (well, actually literally it is too).
There is something you need to understand about Moscow in this respect; the main avenues downtown have been widened (comparably to their old, original size, with buildings constructed in previous centuries been literally moved from their previous locations,) back in the 30ies, according to Stalin's plan of reconstruction of Moscow. ( He personally was overseeing the new architecture of the city.) Walking and widely-available public transportation was all the rage; Soviet system was not catering to the personal ownership of cars, so sending buses, trolleys and trams full of passengers underground while letting the pedestrians to cross the street was not though of favorably back in those days.
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I mean, in that case, people on wheelchair have no option to cross the street! Same to elderly people who may have problems with going up and down.
Russia has never been a friendly place for handicapped people; in fact I don't remember ever seeing people in the wheel-chairs on the streets back in Soviet times. Now of course they are definitely there, but adjustments and reconstruction for their use in public places cost money, that government is obviously not willing to spend. How else can they stash them on private accounts in Western banks and on off shore accounts?
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