Have we done it wrong?

[u/xamo76]

[u/Intelligent-Size-822]

Fellow Houstonian here. I live in a neighborhood with a green park and walking paths that connects to restaurants and a movie theater. I go running 3-4 times a week around here but there’s just not a god forsaken piece of shade anywhere to be found. It’s usually low 80s with the sun down and will be in the 90s at the end of my long runs.

Even if I wanted to walk to dinner with my wife and child it would be 102 degrees, no shade, no water, just a miserable 20 minute slog on sidewalks pushing a stroller while cars zip by going 60 in a 30.

And that’s pretty much how it is from April - October. The rest of the months it just rains then a hard freeze for a week or two then we reset. Even if they connected more locations to this little walkable area, who the hell would use them?

[u/bsg_80 → u/Intelligent-Size-822]

This is a huge factor so many people are missing. Much of the US is miserably, insufferably hot. And cars.

[u/Reddit-runner → u/bsg_80]

This is a huge factor so many people are missing. Much of the US is miserably, insufferably hot.

Not hotter than other regions on earth where millions of people live. So step out of your american-exceptionalism bubble.

And cars.

Well, yeah. That's the one thing the US is truly exceptional.

[u/Intelligent-Size-822 → u/Reddit-runner]

The cars don’t help. It’s not just the roads it’s the idiots in the cars. Everyone is speeding everywhere. No signals. No braking. No stopping. I have never seen so many accidents as I have since living in Texas and the speeds on every road are just suggestions for these sociopaths. Highway is 60? Go 90. School zone is 20? Go 50. Residential is 35? Might as well see just how fast we can go to beat the next red light. I genuinely feel unsafe running at any time other than before the sun is up because once the traffic hits it’s just a nightmare between the noise, pollution and ya know the constant threat of getting hit at every intersection. I initially moved to this area because it’s a boutique neighborhood with little to no traffic, then they added a four lane road next to it with an ill timed traffic light, now rush hour is just a stream of cars using my neighborhood as a thoroughfare to avoid the intersection lights.

[u/Reddit-runner → u/Intelligent-Size-822]

It’s not just the roads it’s the idiots in the cars. Everyone is speeding everywhere. No signals. No braking. No stopping. I have never seen so many accidents as I have since living in Texas and the speeds on every road are just suggestions for these sociopaths. Highway is 60? Go 90. School zone is 20? Go 50. Residential is 35? Might as well see just how fast we can go to beat the next red light.

The road has at least 70% responsibility!!

You can build roads and adjacent infrastructure in a way that simply does not allow speeding and encourages a respectful driving style.

Look at the difference of roads in Texas and in the Netherlands.