A poster took to Reddit to share their concerns about a growing trend in their New York City neighborhood.
They shared their observations on the r/MicromobilityNYC subreddit and detailed the problem they're seeing in Ridgewood and Bushwick: people parking on the sidewalk.
"On one hand, I understand the impulse to take over some pedestrian space for cars, as the cars keep getting bigger but the roads stay the same width," they said. "On the other hand, I was walking by a car parking on the sidewalk tonight and had to dramatically alter my course to not get hit, and there were also children on the sidewalk I know the driver didn't have eyes on due to the height of the carriage of the car and the way they were maneuvering."
The walkability of American cities is an issue that is growing in importance in recent years. Transit experts have pointed to European cities such as Madrid that balance pedestrian accessibility with drivable streets. Meanwhile, cities including Houston take a fair amount of heat for the state of their sidewalks, as a study shows how impassable parts of the city are without a car. Even smaller cities such as Chattanooga, Tennessee have their share of issues, as TikToker The Happy Urbanist shared.
In a city as pedestrian-heavy as New York, blocking part of the sidewalk with your car creates myriad problems, from adding to congestion on those sidewalks to hindering accessibility for people with disabilities. On top of that, prioritizing cars and other dirty fuel-powered vehicles over pedestrians increases the amount of planet-warming pollution we're putting into the atmosphere.
For their part, commenters shared the poster's concerns.
"Much more common in Ridgewood and Bushwick than other parts of the city," one said. "Disgusting antisocial behavior."
"I saw a car parked like this just yesterday in Brooklyn and had the same thought as you," another wrote. "If your car is too big for the available parking, then your car is too big for the city."
"I have a car and live in the area and I don't understand why someone would do this," someone else added. "There is always plenty of parking."
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