[nagdu] Walking in new territory

[Julie J.]

I don't think I would do this route, unless it was a serious emergency type 
of situation and I can't think of anything that would qualify off the top of 
my head.    I do a lot of sidewalkless travel, but one thing I do not do is 
sidewalkless on a highway.   I'd take a cab, plan my shopping trips to 
coincide with a driver's, go somewhere else to shop or figure out an 
alternative route if it was that important to get to this place. But I think 
option 4, finding an alternative route, is pretty far fetched.

Julie
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-----Original Message----- 
From: Lori Dent via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2015 9:01 PM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Lori Dent
Subject: [nagdu] Walking in new territory

Hi all,

Rick and I were talking about Gipp and me  walking from my grandmother's 
house to Wal Mart. When I leave my grandmother's house in her allotment it's 
about a four block walk with no sidewalks to get to  the closest main 
street, route 43.  When I come out to route 43 there's no safe way to cross 
the street.  Traffic from my left is just coming over a hill. I would have 
to turn right and walk , with traffic, for about a half mile to get to the 
first major intersection  which is route 18.  In fact that's the first 
street.

Once  I come up to route 18 and  route 43 it's a light controlled 
intersection. I would need to turn left to cross over route 43. Once Gipp 
and I cross over route 43 we  will be walking down route 18 against traffic 
without any sidewalks for about a mile and a half, maybe 2 miles.

About a quarter mile  before I get to Wal Mart it starts to get interesting. 
I first have to cross an exit from interstate 76.  luckily it's light 
controlled. A little further on we have an entrance to interstate 76 . Again 
light controlled. The last little bit I have to cross  is a business area 
that has a bunch of small shops and three or four graveled entrances. Then I 
come up  to the entrance to the Wall Mart lot. Then I turn left. Not one 
sidewalk the entire time.

Walking back to my grandmother's house from Wal Mart   I will have to walk 
with traffic on route 18. Rick explained to me why it would be extremely 
unsafe to cross  route 18  and walk against traffic. First it would be 
crossing route 18 in front of Wal Mart. Even though there's a light there 
are no markings  to cross. But that's not the hard part. About a quarter 
mile up I would have to cross an exit from interstate 76 and Mogadore Road. 
Traffic coming off of Mogadore Road and I-76 will enter route 18 at about a 
45 degree angle.  Traffic moves very fast there, there's no markings to 
cross and no light. It's extremely unsafe and Rick said he wouldn't try to 
cross it and he's sighted.

Rick says there might be a way to cross. This is going to be hard to explain 
so bare with me. I could stay on the exit from I-76 facing traffic, for 
about 200 feet. There is a traffic light at that point. It would be very 
difficult to work with traffic .  Whether or not traffic from I-76 has a red 
light traffic from Mogadore Road is making continuous right hand turns.  The 
drivers are watching the I-76 traffic to see if they can beat somebody out. 
They never look to the right.

Providing   I can cross  at this light I would walk about 50 feet, with 
traffic, so that I can cross at the next light. Traffic coming through this 
light is either coming straight from Mogadore Road or making a left turn 
from I-76. Turning traffic could be coming down the ramp at least 40 miles 
per hour and would not be able to see me until they made the turn  with no 
time to stop.

Because of this one area Rick thinks it would be safer to walk home with 
traffic.

I've talked to Rick about maybe having a trainer come out and look at this 
area  to see what he or she thinks. do you think I should ask for a trainer 
to come out or go by what Rick suggested?

Lori and the Gipper
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