Problem
Where paths cross roads, the cars have power to frighten and subdue the people walking, even when the people walking have the legal right-of-way.
Solution
At any point where a pedestrian path crosses a road that has enough traffic to create more than a two second delay to people crossing, make a “knuckle” at the crossing: narrow the road to the width of the through lanes only; continue the pedestrian path through the crossing about a foot above the roadway; put in islands between lanes; slope the road up toward the crossing (1 in 6 maximum); mark the path with a canopy or shelter to make it visible.
Related Patterns
… under the impetus of Parallel Roads (23) and Network of Paths and Cars (52), paths will gradually grow at right angles of major roads — not along them as they do now. This is an entirely new kind of situation, and requires an entirely new physical treatment to make it work.
On one side or the other of the road make the pedestrian path swell out to form a tiny square, where food stands cluster round a bus stop — Small Public Squares (61), Bus Stop (92), Food Stands (93); provide one or two bays for standing space for buses and cars — Small Parking Lots (103), and when a path must run from the road crossing along the side of the road, keep it to one side only, make it as wide as possible, and raised above the roadway — Raised Walk (55). Perhaps build the canopy as a trellis or canvas roof — Trellised Walk (174), Canvas Roofs (244).
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 280.