Why shouldn't pedestrians walk in the lot? Is it private property that they are trespassing on?

Maybe a fix is to build a proper sidewalk through here? (sorry, can not seem to edit my own post)

[Content removed]

No fence will be placed in that area. Signs are posted.

It sounds like there is still a problem if pedestrians are not able to properly traverse this area--New Haven has a complete streets ordinance, which does not apply necessarily to the parking lot, but is an indication that as a city, we are committed to providing a safe and pleasant street-scape for all users, not just motorized ones.

It sounds as if the original poster was saying he wanted the school to ban the pedestrians--however, I am unaware that they are in any way legally prohibited from walking in a parking lot. Do you ban the people who have parked their car from walking to the sidewalk from their parked car? No, that would be insane.

If pedestrian infrastructure is missing, the answer is not to

(What does that even mean? The world according to Streever is one in which pedestrians are allowed to walk from a car to a sidewalk in a parking lot? It is odd to see that presented as some bizarro world view--I see that behavior routinely encouraged at every parking lot on Earth)

David,

The issue pertained to the use of the parking lot as a cut through to other areas, not to one's car. There's an excellent walkway along the length of the parking lot, but you can save a step or two by walking the length of the parking lot instead of using the footpath (see satellite photo).

Levers & Pulleys: are the pedestrians causing danger for anyone by crossing through there?

I'm not a transportation engineer, but I do know that parking lots are designed to allow pedestrian traffic through without danger to the pedestrians. I'm not sure that there is a real danger being caused by the pedestrians walking through here, because I imagine that all the people parking here walk along the same lot.

My worry is that one of the kids might get hurt. David, I think you would have to see the parking lot to understand. The walking path parallel to the lot is excellent and the lot itself is just a long strip with a single row of cars on each side running along the length of two buildings. When classes get out there can be a dozen kids or so walking through the narrow lot at a time, I think everyone is careful not to hit anyone and theres no lack of a safe walkway on either side of the strip -- it's not all that dangerous, just seemed like a small tweak would keep the foot traffic from using the lot as a path. But, like I said, I think you'd have to see it first hand. Anyhow, a second sign at the te-6 side might actually do the trick.

A fair worry--it is just typically, no amount of engineering or road building ever makes a pedestrian take a longer path (and I think if we're honest with ourselves, we realize that we never do take the longer route as pedestrians).

Proper engineering places pedestrians--the most vulnerable road users--at the forefront. I honestly think this lot needs a redesign if the students are not safe here. They will never ever use the sidewalks which abut it if they are less convenient--no amount of signage will change that.

If a road is designed to be safe at 40, people will drive at 50. If a path is shorter, people will take it.

Road design should--ideally--be such that it creates a level of safety for everyone, and prioritizes pedestrians. Otherwise, we are just asking for problems.

I'm not trying to bash you Levers&Pulleys--just trying to offer a very different perspective! I know it can be frustrating to see other people flaunting the rules, but legally, the students are well within their rights to walk through the parking lot. While the extra 5 minutes to use the sidewalk may not seem like a lot to a person who enjoys the convenience of driving to their destination, it certainly does add up for the walker.

Signs are posted.

While signs may be posted, banning pedestrians from using a public space ( this parking lot is provided by tax payers ) is not actually fixing the problem. I think SCSU should look into a long-term plan that improves access and ease of use for pedestrians, in accordance with the city of New Haven's Complete Streets ordinance.

.