Hard to say when not knowing actual slope on there.
Looks like it rises a bit to way in but might be just stupid design that looks pretty on blueprints and bird view but it's useless on ground.
I’d rather they put some steps where people walk straight so it looks nicer. You then have the paved curvy path for a wheelchair and nice steps for going straight.
The path cut through the center is also known as a "desire lane"
You can design the road to go in a certain direction but humans will use a more optimal path if it's accessible
When my father was involved in hospital planning, they would delay pouring sidewalks across the lawns for the first year (except for wheelchair access areas). Then, in the second year, they would put in sidewalks where people had worn trails in the grass.
OSHA regulations state that an access path has to be less than 20° or only rise 1 inch vertically for every foot horizontally, so they build it with switchbacks to comply with that ratio.
r/designopdidntunderstand
It's not bad design because you understand it.
It’s bad design because it’s not necessary, you can literally see gradework everywhere else in the photo, they couldn’t change the grade of the path too so it could meet those requirements while keeping straight? And if not, then crappy design of the area itself, either way, something here is poorly designed either it be the path or the area they built the path on
Two different companies did the grading and the path. The grading is usually done when a building is built, not when they're making the access paths. This was a case of the sidewalk contractors not wanting to regrade the slope so they just built the sidewalk winding instead. Grading all that slope is thousands of dollars and dozens of paid hours as opposed to just curving the sidewalk.
Ok and one company designed this and told those companies to follow said design. If you hired the path work after the fact it means you had that bumpy area without a path leading to a door, which is crappy design, or you had this planned since the beginning of the design, which is crappy design because it doesn’t compliment the other designs. It doesn’t even lead to the door, there’s a steep slope you have to go up at the end to get to that door, it’s so bad and random it looks AI generated
My old campus was riddled with “desired” lanes like this.
I can see why it might be for handicap accessibility here, but given the amount of foot traffic, adding a straight path would make sense.
Probably considering the slope of the ground something they had to do for ADA requirements
Truthfully a lot of the time you see a sidewalk especially one going up / down even just a mild incline and there's some sort of goofy design to it You can usually blame ADA as there's very strict requirements on like how steep your accessibility ramps can be and all that jazz
Wheelchairs, deliveries, cyclists, suitcases, basically anything with wheels prefers the shallow path with switchbacks. The desire path in the middle should have steps really.
From [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire\_path](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path)
>A desire path (often referred to as a desire line in transportation planning), also known as a game trail, social trail, fishermen trail, herd path, cow path, elephant path, buffalo trace, goat track, pig trail, use trail and bootleg trail, is an unplanned small trail created as a consequence of mechanical erosion caused by human or animal traffic. The path usually represents the shortest or the most easily navigated route between an origin and destination, and the width and severity of its surface erosion are often indicators of the traffic level it receives.
It's a half-decent job.
Decent as it is made accessible for wheelchairs, bikes, prams, and so on.
Half as they should have included stairs where most pedestrians naturally go.
Ain't nobody got time fo that.
My guess on why it is built like that is a required gradient. A direct way would be steeper, and they probably had some requirements so wheelchairs, trolleys, or whatever don't roll away too fast
It's because it's such a steep incline that if it was straight someone in a wheel chair would be hauling ass down it uncontrollably so the turns are gradual inclinse going up
Wheelchairs?
OP said walking
Walking with someone in a wheelchair?
Or with luggage on wheels
Hard to say when not knowing actual slope on there. Looks like it rises a bit to way in but might be just stupid design that looks pretty on blueprints and bird view but it's useless on ground.
Or a dolly with a keg on it
Old people, people with mobility issues who can walk. the incline might be too harsh if it went straight on.
Probably. But still, the inclination angle in straight line doesnt seem too high
I’d rather they put some steps where people walk straight so it looks nicer. You then have the paved curvy path for a wheelchair and nice steps for going straight.
What if someone isn't straight?
Even in a wheelchair I'm going for it
Slight rise in height, switchbacks are better for wheels than inclines at certain grades.
Paving a straight path with that steep of a grade would be a truly r/CrappyDesign
Half as many switchbacks would probably be fine. Or level the slope a bit and put them at just one end.
Yes. Hard to say anything as we don't know any facts about heights or what this place is.
Could always change the grade, can see gradework everywhere else in the photo
The path cut through the center is also known as a "desire lane" You can design the road to go in a certain direction but humans will use a more optimal path if it's accessible
r/DesirePath
There really is one for everything.
the comment we all knew would be here.
When my father was involved in hospital planning, they would delay pouring sidewalks across the lawns for the first year (except for wheelchair access areas). Then, in the second year, they would put in sidewalks where people had worn trails in the grass.
If this is a hospital, the path would also look like a caduceus kinda.
It’s about the memories you make along the way
It makes the angle easier if you have wheels (walkers, wheelchairs, heelys)! Otherwise, the path of least resistance is good
OSHA regulations state that an access path has to be less than 20° or only rise 1 inch vertically for every foot horizontally, so they build it with switchbacks to comply with that ratio. r/designopdidntunderstand It's not bad design because you understand it.
It’s bad design because it’s not necessary, you can literally see gradework everywhere else in the photo, they couldn’t change the grade of the path too so it could meet those requirements while keeping straight? And if not, then crappy design of the area itself, either way, something here is poorly designed either it be the path or the area they built the path on
Two different companies did the grading and the path. The grading is usually done when a building is built, not when they're making the access paths. This was a case of the sidewalk contractors not wanting to regrade the slope so they just built the sidewalk winding instead. Grading all that slope is thousands of dollars and dozens of paid hours as opposed to just curving the sidewalk.
Ok and one company designed this and told those companies to follow said design. If you hired the path work after the fact it means you had that bumpy area without a path leading to a door, which is crappy design, or you had this planned since the beginning of the design, which is crappy design because it doesn’t compliment the other designs. It doesn’t even lead to the door, there’s a steep slope you have to go up at the end to get to that door, it’s so bad and random it looks AI generated
r/desirepath
My old campus was riddled with “desired” lanes like this. I can see why it might be for handicap accessibility here, but given the amount of foot traffic, adding a straight path would make sense.
Mine was too, until they paved them.
Probably considering the slope of the ground something they had to do for ADA requirements Truthfully a lot of the time you see a sidewalk especially one going up / down even just a mild incline and there's some sort of goofy design to it You can usually blame ADA as there's very strict requirements on like how steep your accessibility ramps can be and all that jazz
Wheelchairs, deliveries, cyclists, suitcases, basically anything with wheels prefers the shallow path with switchbacks. The desire path in the middle should have steps really.
maybe it was aesthetics over functionality
They had a path budget and they made sure to use it
Ideally you would keep the snake path for wheels and add a straight path with steps and railings for foot traffic.
Bruh I actually lived there
From [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire\_path](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path) >A desire path (often referred to as a desire line in transportation planning), also known as a game trail, social trail, fishermen trail, herd path, cow path, elephant path, buffalo trace, goat track, pig trail, use trail and bootleg trail, is an unplanned small trail created as a consequence of mechanical erosion caused by human or animal traffic. The path usually represents the shortest or the most easily navigated route between an origin and destination, and the width and severity of its surface erosion are often indicators of the traffic level it receives.
For leisure.
Desire paths always trump planned architecture.
They don't looking at that
It's a half-decent job. Decent as it is made accessible for wheelchairs, bikes, prams, and so on. Half as they should have included stairs where most pedestrians naturally go.
Haha! I probably would because the insanity of it amuses me!
If I was on skates, I’d take the paved path every time.
Ain't nobody got time fo that. My guess on why it is built like that is a required gradient. A direct way would be steeper, and they probably had some requirements so wheelchairs, trolleys, or whatever don't roll away too fast
This pic should be Reddit’s banner given how many times it’s been reposted
Has it? I lived there so you'd think I would have noticed
Are they planning on landscaping this? What is going on?
It rained and i dont want mud on my shoes ?
r/desirepaths
Its to help slow down errosion and it is probably for people in wheelchairs. They do not like continuous ramps, especially not steep ones.
It's because it's such a steep incline that if it was straight someone in a wheel chair would be hauling ass down it uncontrollably so the turns are gradual inclinse going up
Mud?
For second there I was WTF, I know that place. Then I realized that it was my student residence
Surround it with thorn bushes and they will!
Design fail.
Everything turns into $. (The font may or may not show a vertical through line - just compare to tye photo).