A recent post on X highlights the dangers children face every day on their way to and from school — and it blames the world we've built for children not spending enough time outdoors.
The post by Strong Towns (@StrongTowns) shows a photo taken from a car of an intersection near a school in the Pine Hills area of Orlando. The intersection that the children must cross has six lanes of traffic and poor driver visibility, which can make it particularly dangerous for children.
Every day after school, these kids have to cross 6 lanes of traffic with no shoulder, no buffer between the curb and sidewalk, no shade, and poor driver visibility. This is the world we've built. And we wonder why kids don't spend time outside anymore. pic.twitter.com/FmPl9jGHxK
— Strong Towns (@StrongTowns) March 23, 2023
The OP then linked to an article on the Strong Towns website that shared the details of the hazards faced by the children at this particular intersection, including a crosswalk that drivers turning right cannot clearly see, no buffer between the curb and the sidewalk in a way that makes fast traffic dangerous, and a complete lack of shade which exposes students to the hot sun.
"This is the world we've built," the OP wrote.
Unfortunately, this type of intersection is not uncommon in America's suburbs. The area pictured in the post is a "stroad" — a part road, part street hybrid that creates dangerous conditions, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, because it lacks proper infrastructure.
These areas connect people to services such as malls and recreation areas and often have wide, high-speed roadways. Stroads are found in both suburban and urban areas and are dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike.
Cars can pose a number of threats to people, especially on roads where the driving conditions are not safe for motorists or pedestrians. Research has found that cars are responsible for the death of a staggering 1.67 million people globally every year.
Cars are also the cause of a lot of pollution, and people living close to highways or in areas that experience a lot of traffic are at risk of suffering from problems related to breathing bad air.
There are ways we can make suburban and urban areas safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The first step is to have dedicated paths that are protected from traffic.
Providing protective lanes for cyclists also encourages people to travel by bike, reducing the number of cars on the road, which also reduces pollution.
Planting trees along the stroad would also provide shade and help reduce pollution.
"There needs to be a mass social movement to remove stroads," one user commented.
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