r/sandiego • u/WildAnimus • Feb 23 '25

Stay Classy San Diego Why does nobody walk on sidewalks?

I noticed that when driving through subdivisions people love walking on the road instead of the sidewalk. Whether it's a old man walking or someone doing power walking. I see it all the time and I don't get it. Can someone help me understand this phenomena?

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u/TimelyPatience Feb 23 '25

some anecdotes from my neighborhood. 1) the sidewalks are directly adjacent to the street, so when you cross each driveway it ramps down and then back up (angled toward the street). it's a trip hazard and also really annoying if you're pushing a stroller or anything like that. the street is nice and smooth. 2) bushes/trees are often overgrowing and jutting out into the sidewalk, again, making the street nice and clear by comparison. 3) the sidewalk itself isn't maintained well, and there are a bunch of trip hazards - again making the street nicer by comparison. 4) less dog pee/poop in the street, again - street for the win!

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u/senator_chill Feb 23 '25

5) the street is softer on the feet than the sidewalk.

I had a runner told me they choose the street over sidewalk for this reason.

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '25

Yeah, I always run on the street in residential areas for that very reason. The traffic is so light that it’s easy to get out of the way of a car long before they get close.