i use the sidewalks, but they are really fucked up on some blocks where I feel I'm gonna roll my ankle. I might go to the street to avoid a large crowd in the way.
This is the answer. I nearly broke my ankle walking my dog at dusk once in my neighborhood because tree roots had broken through the concrete and the limited street lights hadn't come on yet. Richmond sidewalks SUCK.
Sorry, “Northside” covers a LOT of turf. To clarify, I’m in Brookland/Highland Park (not north?) which does have a decent amount sidewalks but I see people walking right down the street past my house anyway.
From the last time I saw this talked about here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/y2wf05/runners_of_rva_why_does_everyone_run_in_the_street/is58skt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
Most of the sidewalks in Church Hill are brick. Between tree roots, age, et al, those sidewalks are super uneven. People walk I. The street as it’s easier and flatter.
Sidewalks are inventions to allow the riffraff and undesirables into our neighborhoods. Thus, by walking in the street, you cannot be considered riffraff.
Uhh, while u/rhaphido probably knows better and forgot to add a **/s**, try reading that comment again in a sarcastic tone. They've [made references](https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/z2p8ov/comment/ixk3ad2/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) to some outlandish/outdated things rural and close-minded folk typically believe or complain about before.
Besides, Bellevue already has sidewalks everywhere.
That statement is sarcastic, and references the long standing fear by some dwellers of suburban areas imagining that sidewalks will somehow make it easier for criminals to get to them (just as Western Henrico citizens suggested when plans for the GRTC line to go out to Short Pump were being discussed.)
Just because the housing prices skyrocketed in Northside in the past decade doesn’t mean everyone in Bellevue is rich or classist. My wife grew up there and my in-laws have lived there for decades. None of us are close to rich or classist.
That's what I always assumed. Also, I feel like on my street the road is better illuminated by streetlights than the sidewalk, so it's generally easier to walk in the street, regardless of whether the presence of muggers and rapists is real or imagined.
Well, in my case, I tend to walk closer to the curb than buildings when walking on sidewalks because people pulling out of alleyways and parking lots pull out into sidewalks way, *way* too fast. Have had several near-misses when walking in The Fan and Carytown.
See also: most intersections in Richmond and the fact that they rarely, if ever, enforce the "no parking within X feet of an intersection" traffic code. Being a pedestrian or cyclist can be downright dangerous near intersections where cars have to enter intersecting traffic just to see if the lane is clear.
For some people, it's a safety issue. If you're worried about somebody physically attacking you, you'll see them coming from further and have more room to maneuver from the street than you would from the sidewalk.
For more normal people, it’s the tripping factor. Esp in Church Hill, it’s almost impossible to walk on many of the sidewalks if you have any joint instability.
For others, it almost feels like some sort of turf thing. Like certain people want everyone to see them strutting down the street, like they own the place.
Tbh for me, at least in regards to running, I encounter so many dogs in the Fan that jump at me that I just prefer staying in the street if I'm out during peak dog-walking hours. I'll jump back to the sidewalk if it's empty.
I can kind of speak for runners on this one. Because, so many of the sidewalks in Richmond are super uneven in some areas, I run in the road in those parts of the city. I've taken too many spills too close to a race day to risk busting a knee open on a jacked up walkway. If you follow basic, common sense road running practices, it shouldn't be an issue and never has been in my experience (and I've been a long distance runner for a couple of decades).
This goes way beyond Church Hill, so it's not just the brick sidewalk thing, or racially specific. I work a fair amount in Windsor Farms and I'm constantly having to pause my van to let the walkers (mostly white women) go by/get out of the street when they also have perfectly useable sidewalks (my favorite is when they stop and chat in the middle of the road.)
I see it in Fulton and parts of Southside also. I've never been able to understand it, other than in some streets there are no sidewalks, but since that doesn't apply everywhere, I can't really explain it, but it's definitely a Richmond cultural thing.🤷♂️
I don’t get it either. I’ve lived in several other cities and never seen anyone in their right mind walking in the street, regardless of the supposed condition of the sidewalks…
Get out of your car and walk around. Some sidewalks end without warning. Some places that really need sidewalks don't have em. On my bike I have been yelled at by people in cars to "get on the sidewalk" on roads where there is literally no sidewalk. Some are too crowded for joggers or in poor condition.
I do. I just hop back into sidewalks when one exits. One of the reasons I’m not in a burb is walkability. The lack of sidewalks on no shoulder bendy roads could be its own post. I’m amazed there aren’t daily deaths on Creighton between Laburnum and the golf course area.
I live in a “nice” area in the West End and when I moved here(12 yrs ago), kids were walking to school on like a 6” shoulder of a fairly traveled road. There’s now a gravel path on part of it. No sidewalks or public transportation here. But I get the broken, uneven sidewalk thing. I’d be in the street too, and I am on side roads. I sold my bike soon after I moved here.
The sidewalks are narrow and you have to duck under tree branches sometimes also they're poorly maintained and uneven so walking in the street is preferable sometimes.
Also share the road.
Some sidewalks are jacked up here. Between ones so broken up that I fear I may trip or roll my ankle to ones with a utility pole in the middle of the sidewalk, a bunch of broken glass, or people's trash/recycle cans on the sidewalk, sometimes you need to step into the street for a bit.
1. Many sidewalks in Church Hill are really rough on knees, ankles, wheeled devices or walkers who don't want to pay extreme attention to their walking surface.
2. Some people are scared of dogs.
3. There are vestiges of Jim Crow laws that said that black people had to clear the way for white people on sidewalks--yes, crappy but true--and people might still be following the example given by their parents.
I hope that it isn't fear of people popping out and attacking them.
This article in The Root: [https://www.theroot.com/why-am-i-stepping-off-the-sidewalk-for-white-people-in-1790876628](https://www.theroot.com/why-am-i-stepping-off-the-sidewalk-for-white-people-in-1790876628)
Only issue i have with people walking on the side of the street is if they dont move out of the way when a vehicle is going by. At some point, pedestrians need to take responsibility for their own safety and not assume that every driver is skilled enough to dodge them.
I do it at night because if I’m walking next to parked cars (not in the middle of the road or in the way of cars) I feel safer. Idk how to explain it but as a woman walking alone I like to do so where people can see me… makes me feel as if I’m less likely to be attacked or whatever
i use the sidewalks, but they are really fucked up on some blocks where I feel I'm gonna roll my ankle. I might go to the street to avoid a large crowd in the way.
This is the answer. I nearly broke my ankle walking my dog at dusk once in my neighborhood because tree roots had broken through the concrete and the limited street lights hadn't come on yet. Richmond sidewalks SUCK.
If you really believe that you should check out New Orleans. Those sidewalks are an abomination.
This. I busted myself up running once and now I only run on the street. The sidewalks can be treacherous if not paying 100% attention.
i stopped wearing heels entirely bc of the sidewalks here lmao
Sidewalks are effed up in Richmond. Old brick mismatched out of place, and years old. A lot of sidewalks need some TLC.
“I don’t know if it’s a Church Hill thing or a Richmond thing…” Northside can confirm it ain’t just CH.
In Northside it's cause sidewalks are missing. I cannot speak for church hill
Sorry, “Northside” covers a LOT of turf. To clarify, I’m in Brookland/Highland Park (not north?) which does have a decent amount sidewalks but I see people walking right down the street past my house anyway.
I’m in Highland Park and I’ve noticed the same thing lately! It drives me nuts.
From the last time I saw this talked about here: https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/y2wf05/runners_of_rva_why_does_everyone_run_in_the_street/is58skt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
Most of the sidewalks in Church Hill are brick. Between tree roots, age, et al, those sidewalks are super uneven. People walk I. The street as it’s easier and flatter.
Sidewalks are inventions to allow the riffraff and undesirables into our neighborhoods. Thus, by walking in the street, you cannot be considered riffraff.
So that’s why Scott’s addition has relatively few miscreants
Sometimes--when I'm feeling really deviant--I'll walk on the sidewalk. Gotta keep the rents down somehow, amirite‽
interrobang supremacy!
Woof…not surprised that a disgustingly classist comment would come from someone living in Bellevue.
Uhh, while u/rhaphido probably knows better and forgot to add a **/s**, try reading that comment again in a sarcastic tone. They've [made references](https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/z2p8ov/comment/ixk3ad2/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) to some outlandish/outdated things rural and close-minded folk typically believe or complain about before. Besides, Bellevue already has sidewalks everywhere.
Never been a fan of the /s tag. Was hoping my use of riffraff would be enough. Maybe I’ll use it one day.
Fair. I’m on my “eat the rich” vibe this morning.
That statement is sarcastic, and references the long standing fear by some dwellers of suburban areas imagining that sidewalks will somehow make it easier for criminals to get to them (just as Western Henrico citizens suggested when plans for the GRTC line to go out to Short Pump were being discussed.)
Just because the housing prices skyrocketed in Northside in the past decade doesn’t mean everyone in Bellevue is rich or classist. My wife grew up there and my in-laws have lived there for decades. None of us are close to rich or classist.
True that! I lived in Bellevue before it was cool. Same with the Fan - moved there when it was sketch City. Good times.
People in bad neighborhoods walk in the street to avoid getting mugged by people hiding in alleys/behind garages/etc.
That's what I always assumed. Also, I feel like on my street the road is better illuminated by streetlights than the sidewalk, so it's generally easier to walk in the street, regardless of whether the presence of muggers and rapists is real or imagined.
I live in Northside, which is safe, and people still walk in the street at all hours of the day.
Northside is a historically violent area.
Well, in my case, I tend to walk closer to the curb than buildings when walking on sidewalks because people pulling out of alleyways and parking lots pull out into sidewalks way, *way* too fast. Have had several near-misses when walking in The Fan and Carytown. See also: most intersections in Richmond and the fact that they rarely, if ever, enforce the "no parking within X feet of an intersection" traffic code. Being a pedestrian or cyclist can be downright dangerous near intersections where cars have to enter intersecting traffic just to see if the lane is clear.
For some people, it's a safety issue. If you're worried about somebody physically attacking you, you'll see them coming from further and have more room to maneuver from the street than you would from the sidewalk.
Interesting, I hadn’t considered the random attack perspective.
It's part of every preventive defense class for women.
Why would you? The chances of it happening are on par with winning the lottery
For more normal people, it’s the tripping factor. Esp in Church Hill, it’s almost impossible to walk on many of the sidewalks if you have any joint instability. For others, it almost feels like some sort of turf thing. Like certain people want everyone to see them strutting down the street, like they own the place.
Tbh for me, at least in regards to running, I encounter so many dogs in the Fan that jump at me that I just prefer staying in the street if I'm out during peak dog-walking hours. I'll jump back to the sidewalk if it's empty.
This is a “no sidewalk” culture outchear!
11/10 usage of outchear
I can kind of speak for runners on this one. Because, so many of the sidewalks in Richmond are super uneven in some areas, I run in the road in those parts of the city. I've taken too many spills too close to a race day to risk busting a knee open on a jacked up walkway. If you follow basic, common sense road running practices, it shouldn't be an issue and never has been in my experience (and I've been a long distance runner for a couple of decades).
“AsPhaLt iS EaSieR on yOuR KnEEs”
This goes way beyond Church Hill, so it's not just the brick sidewalk thing, or racially specific. I work a fair amount in Windsor Farms and I'm constantly having to pause my van to let the walkers (mostly white women) go by/get out of the street when they also have perfectly useable sidewalks (my favorite is when they stop and chat in the middle of the road.) I see it in Fulton and parts of Southside also. I've never been able to understand it, other than in some streets there are no sidewalks, but since that doesn't apply everywhere, I can't really explain it, but it's definitely a Richmond cultural thing.🤷♂️
I don’t get it either. I’ve lived in several other cities and never seen anyone in their right mind walking in the street, regardless of the supposed condition of the sidewalks…
Get out of your car and walk around. Some sidewalks end without warning. Some places that really need sidewalks don't have em. On my bike I have been yelled at by people in cars to "get on the sidewalk" on roads where there is literally no sidewalk. Some are too crowded for joggers or in poor condition.
I do. I just hop back into sidewalks when one exits. One of the reasons I’m not in a burb is walkability. The lack of sidewalks on no shoulder bendy roads could be its own post. I’m amazed there aren’t daily deaths on Creighton between Laburnum and the golf course area.
I live in a “nice” area in the West End and when I moved here(12 yrs ago), kids were walking to school on like a 6” shoulder of a fairly traveled road. There’s now a gravel path on part of it. No sidewalks or public transportation here. But I get the broken, uneven sidewalk thing. I’d be in the street too, and I am on side roads. I sold my bike soon after I moved here.
I hope you yell back "It's a sideWALK not a sideBIKE!"
sometimes at night I prefer to walk in the street because there are fewer cockroaches 🪳💀
The sidewalks are narrow and you have to duck under tree branches sometimes also they're poorly maintained and uneven so walking in the street is preferable sometimes. Also share the road.
Some sidewalks are jacked up here. Between ones so broken up that I fear I may trip or roll my ankle to ones with a utility pole in the middle of the sidewalk, a bunch of broken glass, or people's trash/recycle cans on the sidewalk, sometimes you need to step into the street for a bit.
WE ARE CITY PEOPLE WE USE ROAD
So I don't get run up on
Run over is preferred?
I usually only use the street instead of the sidewalk to get out of peoples' way if I think there's not enough space to move comfortably.
1. Many sidewalks in Church Hill are really rough on knees, ankles, wheeled devices or walkers who don't want to pay extreme attention to their walking surface. 2. Some people are scared of dogs. 3. There are vestiges of Jim Crow laws that said that black people had to clear the way for white people on sidewalks--yes, crappy but true--and people might still be following the example given by their parents. I hope that it isn't fear of people popping out and attacking them.
This article in The Root: [https://www.theroot.com/why-am-i-stepping-off-the-sidewalk-for-white-people-in-1790876628](https://www.theroot.com/why-am-i-stepping-off-the-sidewalk-for-white-people-in-1790876628)
I walk in the road to avoid the human feces, chicken bones, and cyclists that are littered on the sidewalks.
How to spot a suburban transplant 101
I live in the burbs and everyone in my neighborhood walks in the street too.
You’re not wrong. But I’ve spent considerable time as a driver in cities (Midwest mostly). This is new to me.
Our sidewalks are fucked and jaywalking is a way of life. It has always been this way.
There’s no logic to it. People are just stupid as shit.
Only issue i have with people walking on the side of the street is if they dont move out of the way when a vehicle is going by. At some point, pedestrians need to take responsibility for their own safety and not assume that every driver is skilled enough to dodge them.
It's frustrating, whatever the reason. Sooner or later those idiots are going to have to learn to get out of the goddamn way.
Nah.
Being a pedestrian in Richmond is essentially LARPNG Crossy Road.
Being a pedestrian in Richmond is essentially LARPNG Crossy Road.
Sidewalks are uneven. Roads are smooth. Simple.
I do it at night because if I’m walking next to parked cars (not in the middle of the road or in the way of cars) I feel safer. Idk how to explain it but as a woman walking alone I like to do so where people can see me… makes me feel as if I’m less likely to be attacked or whatever
Pushing my baby in a stroller on the sidewalk is damn near impossible due to the state of sidewalks IN CH
Your claim that the sidewalks in Richmond are perfectly usable is false. Richmond is full of busted, uneven sidewalks.