"That's how it has always been": why you can't cross the road directly on October Avenue

      The October Avenue is arranged in an unusual way: a wide green alley with trees and benches runs through the center. On one side of it are two lanes of traffic in one direction, and on the other side are two lanes in the opposite direction. As a result, a pedestrian walking along the alley is surrounded by roadways on both sides.

      The problem arises at intersections with other streets — Moscow, Preobrazhenskaya, Herzen, Spasskaya, Young Guard, and others. At these points, the alley is interrupted. To continue straight along it, for example from one block to the next, a person must first leave the alley, cross the first roadway of October Avenue at a pedestrian crossing at the traffic light, then cross the intersecting street, and then cross the second roadway again — and only after that return to the alley. In total, there are three traffic lights where it would be more logical to simply cross directly — from one section of the alley to another.

      Many residents of Kirov do just that. They walk straight across the gap in the alley, crossing the two lanes at moments when cars are stopped. Drivers usually yield — out of habit or courtesy. But legally, the pedestrian is violating the rules at that moment. Sometimes this ends in conflicts. Recently, at the turn from October Avenue to Moscow Street, a bus driver yelled at an elderly couple crossing the road seemingly on a green light, but without a "zebra" crossing.

      A correspondent from Newsler.ru contacted the Kirov administration with the question: why can't a crossing be made directly through the gaps in the alley?

      The city hall responded briefly. The traffic organization project does not provide for the installation of "Pedestrian Crossing" signs and the marking of a "zebra" on the dividing strip. The reason is that the width of the road does not allow for a crossing that meets the standards.

      All official crossings on October Avenue are located at intersections — where it is safe and provided for by GOST (state standards). Crossing the road directly, cutting through the gaps in the alley, is a violation of traffic rules and a risk to life. The administration reminded that pedestrians are required to cross the road only at crossings, and in their absence — at intersections along the lines of sidewalks or curbs.

      Currently, there are no plans to change the traffic scheme on October Avenue. The phrase "that's how it has always been" does not exempt one from responsibility.

      Meanwhile, the authorities position Kirov as a city open to tourists. Guests of the regional center inevitably end up on October Avenue — it is long, looks beautiful at any time of the year, and crosses a large part of the city. While local residents have already adapted to this logic of crossings and know where it is possible to cross the road and where it is not, for an outsider, it may be at least non-obvious, and at most — simply inconvenient.

      This creates a paradox: the beautiful urban alley that Kirov residents rightfully take pride in is, in fact, torn into separate fragments. Unfortunately, it is not possible to reconnect them into a continuous pedestrian route without violating traffic rules. And judging by the administration's response, nothing will change in the near future.

      So, Kirov residents and guests of the city are left with either accepting the detour involving three traffic lights or continuing to take risks by crossing the road where they are used to. The phrase "that's how it has always been" from a traffic police inspector, of course, will not convince anyone, but it will not make it any more convenient either.