Eklectic1 t1_ja6xtey wrote on February 27, 2023 at 8:08 AM

I've lived in New Haven since 1959. Unaware pedestrians in this city have ever been reckless here---notoriously so---and it's tragic and so preventable. When I was younger, I thought at first it was only the students that were being oblivious, dwelling in their teenage-bubble mindset. But it isn't. I am here to tell you it is a citywide phenomenon---all classes of people, ages, and conditions do it, in every microneighborhood---it's actually a New Haven cultural thing.

I have found people in general just walk across the street without looking, simply by habit, and they really always have done so here, even at night. (It totally predates "walking along just staring at the phone," although that sure hasn't helped the problem any.) It's as if it doesn't even occur to many walkers to preserve their own lives.

I avoid driving on Whalley Avenue at night for this very reason. People habitually wearing dark clothes, lurching out in the dark in the middle of the street where they can't be seen. Terrifying how many near misses I've had or seen with this---and I'm careful! I drive as visually and situationally aware as I can. I take driving responsibility seriously---I'm wearing armor when I'm in a car! Pedestrians are not. I just wish they realized it...

My parents and grandparents taught me early on, holding my hand, to look both ways, and "to cross at the green [the corner of the street], not in between," which was also an old TV public service announcement in the 1960s, frequently aired. (I don't think parents teach this anymore. Why not? Not enough time in their day? I have no idea. It seems an awfully important teaching.)

Combine this rather routine and sad pedestrian obliviousness with our world-class bad drivers in this small city, and I'm constantly amazed we don't have more casualties here. The recent and increasing inclusion of sudden bikelanes that drivers don't yet know how to use makes safe driving ever more challenging. It will take a decade at least before our drivers (including me) actually understand the inside baseball of those. They are visually confusing, literally show up out of nowhere, and require a new type of anticipatory "traffic dance" to be learned on the fly.

Yes, we'll learn it, I'm learning it, but I worry about everybody out there.

The hit-and-run thing is another common stomach-turning business. This town is crazy, man. It takes all your strength.

13_0_0_0_0 t1_ja7f4u8 wrote on February 27, 2023 at 12:06 PM

I grew up in and around the city, and was very conscious of crossing the roads. For a brief time I moved out west to a town where they took pedestrian right-of-way very seriously. I was confused at first when I’d be at a curb and cars would stop, and even honk with impatience while I habitually waited for them to pass. It took a while to get used to that.

I only spent a few months there, but when I got back to New Haven I was so used to cars stopping that I nearly got hit a few times until I re-learned to be safe.

Observant_Neighbor t1_ja94l8u wrote on February 27, 2023 at 7:28 PM

>My parents and grandparents taught me early on, holding my hand, to look both ways, and "to cross at the green [the corner of the street], not in between,"

Truer words have never been spoken. And your entire comment including the new bikes lanes is spot on. Regrettably, there aren't enough parents and grandparents doing the teaching for things like this.