The UK's "worst place to walk" with cracked pavements, poor lighting and a "urine smell" has been revealed in a new report.
The study by national walking organisation Ramblers examined more than 140,000 miles of public road and found Liverpool's Riverside was the worst place for walkways in England and Wales. Despite covering affluent areas and notable landmarks, it also includes deprived wards where people report feeling unsafe walking after dark, reports Liverpool Echo.
Reporter Patrick Edrich took a stroll through the area to see if the unflattering title was warranted. He noted the pathway runs parallel to a dual carriageway that poses an "immediate danger" to pedestrians.
READ MORE: Humans could 'hibernate their way to distant planets' to save mankind says expert
For the latest brilliantly bizarre news from the Daily Star, click here.
To avoid crossing the perilous road, pedestrians have two options. Either they can walk through a "dingy, unlit" underpass or take a detour on the raised path above the entrance to the Kingsway Tunnel. However, Edrich pointed out neither option was ideal.
"[The underpass] is dark, dingy and smells strongly of urine. Rubbish litters the floor and graffiti of varying quality lines the walls. Crime is evidently also an issue, with drug paraphernalia such as syringes and bags on the ground.
"However, a walk across the raised footpath provides different issues," he continued. "The path is unlit which would put off a lot of walkers from taking the path. Add in the dog faeces and many would turn back to the underpass."
Snapchat messages busted sick school predator offering young girls cash for sex
Along his route, Edrich came across several fellow pedestrians – and a few people who, despite not travelling far, elected to take public transport rather than walk. Others reported feeling unsafe in the dark.
Councillor Dan Barrington, who is in charge of transport and connectivity, told Liverpool Echo: "As I've said repeatedly on the issue of cycling and active travel, Liverpool's offer is far from complete but we know what the missing pieces are to complete this jigsaw. Our challenge now is to make the case to accelerate our efforts and transform Liverpool as a cycle and walk-friendly city, and not just in the city centre, but right across our neighbourhoods and for the benefit of all ages and abilities."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article
