Since lockdown, I’ve started to walk locally a lot more and in July, I became… a buggy user. Here’s the good, bad and ugly of what it’s been like to roll on my neighbourhood’s streets [THREAD 1/9]

Let’s kick off with a classic… Pavement parking. Already banned in London, except where councils paint white lines to designate a bay. Aside from the obvious car dominance, it means it takes very little (a tree or a bin) to create a painful pinch point [2/9]

Even if pavement parking is removed, the fun doesn’t stop. Its legacy can be half the pavement left cracked and uneven (not ideal for wheels!) [3/9]

Next up, driveways. Cobbles are often used as they’re more long-lasting, but they make for a bumpy ride, sometimes even long after the driveway has stopped being used. I’ve also seen their users forget that the public pavement isn’t part of their front garden… [4/9]

But worst of all is where there’s no slope built into the pavement where you’re expected to cross (known as a dropped kerb) [5/9]

Some barriers aren’t the fault of the design of the streets. Fly-tipping and litter can also narrow the space available, especially when it’s next to other street ‘furniture’ like a lamp post [6/9]

Finally, trees. Greener streets are wonderful. But too often trees are narrow the pavement, with their routes creating a very uneven surface. Over-grown hedges can also reduce the space available [7/9]

None of this has to be like this - other local examples show pavements widened for trees, nice smooth crossings and well maintained pavements [8/9]

I’m in a privileged position - able to navigate obstacles and confident enough to use the road where needed, but many aren’t. It’s easy to overlook these small details, but they’re a crucial part of giving everyone the basic ability to enjoy their local streets [9/9]