Thursday, June 05, 2008

Pedestrian-free zone

Let's get this straight. You live over in the Cliff Rose subdivision on, maybe, one of the Monopoly streets like Short Line Lane or, maybe, on a non-Monopoly street such as Raindagger Drive. Your doctor has told you to get more exercise. The newspaper has just published a feature about the trails in Watson Woods, which is directly across SR89 from Cliff Rose. Aha. Time for a hike. You walk down to the point where Rosser Street meets SR 89.

Northeast corner. Oops.

Southeast corner. Oops.

Northwest corner. Oops.

Southwest corner. Oops. It's very simple -- you can't get there from here, unless you fire up your gasmobile. It's a genuine pedestrian-free zone, brought to my attention by Derek the Mapmaker and founder of the new religion for the 21st Century, Must Be Funny. I guess that he thought that this arrangement was pretty funny. Now he's got me wondering about the funny potential of city hikers trying to cross a road anywhere near one of those roundabouts which traffic engineers consider the real bees' knees. This year. Thanks, Derek, for the data and the pix.

Cliff Rose Note: Perhaps the developer belonged to Must Be Funny; perhaps he was serious. Whoever (or whatever) he was, he preceded our time in Prescott. When we arrived, the map was already platted with the following streets directly from the Monopoly board: Short Line Lane, Reading Lane, Baltic Avenue, States Street, Ventor Circle, St. James Place, Mediterranean Court, Oriental Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. And, of course, Marvin Gardens and Boardwalk. Nowhere have I seen history or discussion of how this curious set of street names was selected. Nor have I scoped the development to see if Baltic and Mediterannean really comprise the low rent district, with the toniest mansions situated on Boardwalk.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is funny, but then again it's not. There are lots of pedestrian zones in the cities in Germany, but I haven't seen a pedestrian-free zone. Those names had to be someone's idea of a joke...right?

Germany has gone bonkers on the traffic circles, but they seem to work.

Granny J said...

steve -- about those streets ... I've always wondered if it was a Monopoly freak, possibly, who named them.

Anonymous said...

That's hilarious--yet sad at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Well, anyone from the "City" able to chime in and explain why Pedestrians are verboten at that intersection?

Hee.

~Anon in AV.

Anonymous said...

I've sent an email to the castle folks and asked about the clock. If I hear back, I'll let you know.

Granny J said...

dotter -- yep, both! The iron law of bureaucracy.

anon av -- so far, not word one.

steve -- thanks. Everybody -- it's a great castle that he's posted pix of, quite medeival -- except for a fine clock.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post. I turned in a photo report on a dangerous pedestrian crossing to State and City on Thursday.

The SR 69/89 construction is also a pedestrian-free zone. They have signs up and I received confirmation from ADOT. "ADOT has eliminated pedestrian access through the project. Pedestrians are asked to find an alternate
route."

The Bike/Ped Plan subcommittee starts at 10am tomorrow and I'll raise the issue and propose an opening statement ensuring bike and ped access throughout the City.

Granny J said...

derek -- how does a pedestrian find an alternate route to walk across SR89
north of SR69??? It looks to me sort of like a topological impossibility.

Anonymous said...

I think we should hold a contest for pedestrians accepting ADOT's
challenge to find the alternate routes, with a mass start from Yavapai College and a prize for the first one to solve the puzzle and complete the course, returning with a shopping receipt from Basha's.

Granny J said...

A fine & Funny solution, derek

 
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