To Go Up, Or Not To Go Up? That Is The Question

image from carlodimaandal.com

For some time I have pondered on an observation I had about pedestrians, including myself: Why is it hard for people to use footbridges when crossing streets, when supposedly it is there for their safety?

Most of us would say that it is a great bother having to climb up the stairs. It's too tiring. Some would say it's too far. A hassle.

Many have tried their luck crossing busy highways like Commonwealth and EDSA and some have failed.

Comparing my experience with overpasses, people tend to think against going up the stairs so they won't even attempt to. It's that negative psyche that outweighs safety for some. Looking for solutions, I turned my attention to pedestrian underpasses. I find it more appealing compared to overpasses, mainly because the main approach is a set of stairs going DOWN. Even if both an overpass and an underpass have stairs, it would be considerably less tiring if you are going down the stairs. This lets us overcome the hesitation of using a safe way to cross busy streets.

When you're down, there's no way but up. Already inside the underpass, there really is no other way to surface but to climb the stairs on the other end. Even if you hate climbing up the stairs, you do not have any other choice, do you? What I like about Ayala Avenue underpasses is that they give you a choice between burning calories while climbing up the stairs, or ride the escalator and arrive at the office without a sweat.

Whenever possible, choose to cross the street in the safest way. Either above the street or under, even through street-level pedestrian crossings, just make sure to look to your left and to your right, and cross with full awareness.