Speed radar sign on Clover
I’ve picked on Clover Street before. It’s a beautiful street with lovely homes, lots of families and many trees and greenery. But there is no way to sugar-coat it — it sucks for pedestrians and cyclists. If you aren’t in a car and elect to use the road, get ready to leap into a hedge at a moment’s notice as drivers speed passed you like you aren’t even there. There are no sidewalks, no bike lanes (unless you count the shoulder stripe, which disappears at every intersection), no crosswalks and drivers fly down the road.
[I snapped the featured picture last year when a radar speed sign was placed to monitor speed after a driver hit a cyclist in front of a school on Clover St.]
So here I go again — Clover, You Can Do Better!
Walking to Clover Commons from Allens Creek.
My husband had the car the day I had an appointment on Allens Creek Road near Clover. He dropped me off and I planned to ride the bus home. I had a bit of a walk to catch the bus AND about an hour wait after my appointment. I took my laptop and decided to walk to a coffee shop at the corner of Clover and Monroe (Clover Commons) to work until it was time to catch my bus.
FIRST: the walk from Allens Creek to Clover Commons
[see photo on the right]
There were no sidewalks on Allens Creek or Clover. And there were no crosswalks or walk signs to get me there safely. Inviting, right? Who wouldn’t want to walk here?
Bonus: You get to twist your ankle on the curb and hit a light pole when cars speed passed you.
SECOND: my destination
[see photo below left]
I know the shops at Clover Commons have seating outside. But, wow. It is not a pretty intersection. I watched 3 pedestrians (in the way ridiculous minority at this car-centric intersection) at different times try to cross this can o’ worms. Even with the light and the right of way, drivers turning left or right paid no mind to them. During my latte there, I also saw 2 cyclists who were in serious spandex fast gear try to get across the intersection. A casual cyclist would have given up and gone home. I guess you are supposed to put your bike on your car and drive it to the bike shop right there on the corner. At least it won’t get dirty that way.
Bonus: you get to throw your shoulder out getting your bike off the roof of your car.
My view while drinking my coffee. Note the lone brave pedestrian. It took him 10 minutes to cross. God speed, man. God speed.
Drivers don’t expect to see anyone on foot or bike along this Monroe Corridor. And it’s a long, hot, treeless, joyless walk anyway.
Thanks to lots of shops, restaurants and amenities, the Monroe Corridor is a popular highly-frequented area. It’s in a convenient location for people who live and work in Brighton, Pittsford and the City. And it’s affluent. So why hasn’t it made an effort to become more friendly to bikes, pedestrians and mass transit? It’s a big concrete jungle where the car-only design focus disconnects neighborhoods that could and should be connected and dooms people to get in their cars to go from shop to shop.
Do you have to walk and/or bike along Clover regularly? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.
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