society and its design: Davis

courtesy of clipart.com

I almost tripped over a curb the other day and was wondering who in the world designed a ramp that was going to have a protruding side curb. Especially being in Davis, I think not only a pedestrian, but a biker might not notice it and could seriously get injured. Perhaps there is a reason to make something more dangerous, maybe its function is to discourage bikers or others from using the ramp, but on the whole, I don't feel like that is a big enough problem that I am aware of to justify adding the curb.

There are many other design faults that seem to be present in community just beyond campus. For example, one aspect that I think would greatly improve davis is to add a pedestrian/bike cross in the middle of La Rue between Hutchison and Russel. It would increase safety since most people that live in the apartment complex across the street from campus jay walk all the time, jumping the curb on their bikes or having to slow down in front of oncoming traffic to get off their bikes and walk across the divider. In turn, a walkway would slow down traffic and create a more walking biking friendly environment for the students at UCD. Another reason for slowing down traffic is because many sports games are held on Hutchinson fields, and I have seen many stray balls go into the street and people then have to dodge speeding cars to retrieve them.  It would also break up the long stretch of road, and like they have done on Russel next to the Russel fields, it would be a reminder to drivers that pedestrians and bikers are common and keep them conscious and aware of their surroundings instead of just seeing a straight road that subconsciously means you can go fast.

Everyone could benefit from a crosswalk on La Rue, and I think it would be one of the smarter and more progressive designs that the city could implement instead of stupid useless ones like a curb on a ramp.