Liverpool Riverside has been rated the worst area for walkways in England and Wales, according to a new report by the walking association Ramblers. Liverpool, as a city, rates among the bottom five authorities in the study that looked at more than 140,000 miles of public rights of way. The area is a mixed community, taking in the ta trendy Albert Docks area with its Tate gallery and exhibition centres as well as the working-class areas which have historically suffered from a lack of investment.
Sara Ettamri, a nursing student, said “most ways to get into town you have to go through some shady alleyways, so it is hard, especially like as a young female, to walk in those areas. And when winter comes around it gets darker and harder to walk around safely so I get a friend to accompany me.” Denise McKenna fell on the kerbside of Vauxhall Road a few days ago due to potholes, she said “the paths aren’t that good.” McKenna avoids some roads due to the pavements being broken or because they are poorly lit, making her worried about crime.
Dr Morag Rose, a lecturer in human geography at the University of Liverpool, says she is unsurprised by the study’s findings. She says that as well as the physical condition of pavements, the street furniture of city streets, such as A-boards placed outside shops or tables blocking pavements outside cafes, can force people to veer out into the roads. Liverpool City Council is investing in improving car-free areas and this summer signed off over £10m of funding to create permanent cycle paths, repair walkways and create new crossing facilities.
Arron Hart, chair of Fillyaboots, Merseyside’s young Ramblers’ group, stated that “walking routes around the city need to be highlighted with better signage and on local websites.” The NHS psychotherapist says joining a walking group seven years ago gave him a “sense of purpose” when he found himself unemployed. The group runs a range of walks for different abilities, from short strolls in the city area to more challenging trips, like Snowdonia. The group pays £3 per month to be part of Ramblers and has minibus trips capped at £12 for the day.
Walking is a levelling activity, according to Hart. “Because you’re all there doing the same thing, it makes making friends and conversation that much easier. It kind of gives you a drive and then before you know it, you can just be chatting away and then 30 minutes have gone by. You’ll comment on the landscape. You’re looking at the trees. ‘Oh, my gosh, we just saw a buzzard! Let’s take a moment to reflect on that.”’
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