guerilla crosswalks in polish hill! (Pittsburgh, Oakland: houses, neighborhoods, live in)

[groar]

100% in support of this! take back the streets!

Walkabout: Crosswalks created by the underground around Polish Hill - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Polish Hill is one of the most spirited do-it-yourself neighborhoods in the city. In large numbers on each other's behalf, residents turn out to clear snow from sidewalks and city steps, to clean up litter and plant flowers.


It may have been in the same spirit that four newly painted crosswalks, each of slightly different width, recently appeared at the intersection of Melwood Avenue and Finland Street.

[Hopes]

The city doesn't have the resources to paint the cosswalks but has the resources to remove them. That's logical!

Now I understand why SCR doesn't want to leave Polish Hill!

Thanks for sharing!

[toosie]

Saw this in the paper today and my first thought was...could that have been SCR!?

[SteelCityRising]

If the city is going to idiotically proclaim that they don't have the resources to simply paint crosswalks at dangerous intersections in residential neighborhoods, then I by all means support such "vigilante" tactics. I routinely walk to work in Oakland from my home on Brereton Street via Dobson to Herron to Melwood to a side street and on up a set of steps to Bigelow Boulevard. The amount of people who run stop signs in our neighborhood and the sheer volume of near-misses I've seen with cars and pedestrians playing chicken with one another is unbelievable. The East End is rapidly growing, and with our poor mass transit just about everyone is driving, which has led to increasing congestion on major roads (hence why the city now has police officers controlling traffic signals everywhere at rush hour) and more people looking for shortcuts (i.e. Polish Hill). We're more than a shortcut. We're a neighborhood. The sooner people realize that people LIVE in the houses they are careening past at twice the posted speed limit the better.

[stburr91]

There is more that goes into crosswalks than simply painting lines in the street. Hopefully people realize this, and this kind of thing won't happen again.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by stburr91

There is more that goes into crosswalks than simply painting lines in the street. Hopefully people realize this, and this kind of thing won't happen again.

I'm sure they realize that more is involved. They are making a point. They succeeded too!

[stburr91]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I'm sure they realize that more is involved. They are making a point. They succeeded too!

What is their point, that breaking the law is the best way to get what you want? There are right and wrong ways to bring attention to your cause, this is clearly the wrong way.

[Hopes]

Would you have preferred they were hit by vehicles while crossing the road instead? That would have gotten the point across.

[airwave09]

Originally Posted by stburr91

What is their point, that breaking the law is the best way to get what you want? There are right and wrong ways to bring attention to your cause, this is clearly the wrong way.

The nanny state creates laws every day that benefit only the rich and powerful. The government is corrupt on every level, and a lot of "laws" get pushed through with minimal support of the people and thus greatly benefit from people's ignorance of them. My point is don't entrust today's version of government and it's "laws" as your bible. Use your own common sense and the US Constitution instead.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Would you have preferred they were hit by vehicles while crossing the road instead? That would have gotten the point across.

Just to play Devil's advocate..I think that it's all together possible that a "guerrilla" crosswalk may be more likely to result in an accident than the absence of one all together. A pedestrian may embrace the "protection" of the crosswalk despite the driver having no legal responsibility to do so. This lack of alignment in expectations could have tragic consequences. Additionally, the sub-standard sight lines and lack of curb cuts associated with the crosswalk may cause additional difficulties rather than improving the overall situation.