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by TomMarius 2437 days ago
Yeah, wheelchair is a pretty OK way to get to a car. Anything further? Sorry but I consider that purposefully making disabled people's lives significantly worse. There are probably many disabled people around you that only have a wheelchair, and yet you don't see them on the street - because it's too damn hard to push yourself using your hands while your body is broken. I don't understand the hate against disabled people, is it really that bad to give them a slight advantage?
5 comments

People don't hate disabled people.

They have little patience when they're rolled out as an excuse against every change of use to a street, almost always by people who aren't disabled but simply want to drive everywhere.

It's the "think of the children!" counter argument for local transport planning.

Again, this is a solved problem in countries that have significantly larger pedestrian areas than San Francisco's Market Street. People use a variety of mobility solutions, including wheelchairs, walkers, and mobility scooters.

Pedestrian streets are, on the whole, beneficial to disabled people. There is more space, fewer chances of collisions, and crossing the street is trivial instead of harrowing. Go look in any city that has larger pedestrianized areas and see for yourself: it works for pretty much everyone.

I’m not even sure what your argument is. That taxis+buses+cars on all adjacent and cross streets to Market are insufficient to get people in wheelchairs where they need to go?
Millions of disabled people use walkers and canes. Or wheelchairs. Or motorized scooters.

We're talking about banning cars on a single main road to make it more people friendly. There are still buses, taxis and shuttles on this road. And there are roads with cars right next to it.

What exactly is so challenging here that you claim is "hate against disabled people"? That those living right on Market St suddenly have to go a tiny bit farther if they want to take Uber?

> because it's too damn hard to push yourself using your hands while your body is broken

There are motorized wheelchairs for people who can’t push themselves. People in wheelchair for life I met have a motorized one.