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Author: Regina Haertsch

954 likes poppitheguidedog Warning this post is triggering and involves the near death or injury of Poppi and myself. I have been left feeling shaken, helpless and a like Poppi and I don't matter. Poppi was guiding me through the main street in our home city of Parramatta. We were on the foot path (or so we thought) when suddenly I heard heavy breaking and discovered Poppi and I were in the middle of the road. Poppi tried to get me off the road and we ended up in another road. Before this, we had also crossed a busy street with NO idea. How did this happen? Our state has introduced a new design of major cities with light rails running through them. They have created a "boulevard" look that makes everything from the tram lines, roads and surrounds look like one giant foot path. There is no difference between the road and foot path from looks, levels, materials. NOTHING. Why did they do this? It looks pretty and gives a sense pedestrians can walk for miles. Poppi who is a great guide dog no longer has any clue where the footpath ends and a road begins and nor do I. The state designers say this is ok beause they have put down dots that are meant to tell me there is a hazzard. Now I have to find the dots, then guess what they mean. To be honest I'm not very good at ths game. I also have a wide walking gait and can easily walk straight over them. I can also barely feel them and well.... Suprise but I CAN'T SEE THEM. I feel so sad that I literally can not go into my main city independantly. Worse still, they love this design and don't want to change so I won't be able to go to many major cities anymore. Sydney CBD included. I've never felt more disabled. This is a picture of Poppi looking really sad and confused as industry professionals (blindness, council and project leads) try to test if Poppi and I can recognise the new dots to tell us there is a road. We failed. (Or perhaps, the designers failed.) #GuideDog #GuidedogsAustralia #Dog #Labrador #Parramatta #ParramattaLlghtRail #Disability #Death #Cruelty #TransportNSW #PawGust2022 view all 88 comments
August 1, 2022 Regina Haertsch

Walking Sightless – an Experience

New Hierarchy of Road Users
February 14, 2022 Regina Haertsch

UK Highway Code Commences

Glebe Point Road
December 4, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Secrets of Successful High Streets

amsterdam architecture bikes buildings
December 2, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Big four Dutch cities want lower speed limits to cut road deaths

Equus zebra hartmannae - Etosha 2015.jpg Hartmann's mountain zebra in Etosha National Park. Yathin S Krishnappa Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
November 23, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Crosswalks are pedestrian crossings and some need zebra crossings

October 26, 2021October 25, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Road Safety Joint Select Committee

Sydney Park Road improvements
October 2, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Sydney Park Junction

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Need to return road space for walking and cycling – Bridge Rd Glebe

May 26, 2021May 25, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Willoughby Council consults on crossings for school kids

Sometimes road design helps cars decide to whom they must give way. But is this actually a marked crosswalk?
March 29, 2021March 27, 2021 Regina Haertsch

Giving Way where there are no signs or lights

Pedestrian in a crosswalk
March 23, 2021March 23, 2021 Regina Haertsch

National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030

Children on pedestrian island
February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 Regina Haertsch

When will your Council set a 30 km/h limit in your neighbourhood?

September 4, 2020September 2, 2020 Regina Haertsch

Rambling on a Sunday

August 28, 2020January 23, 2022 Regina Haertsch

Sunday Ambling

July 30, 2020July 29, 2020 Regina Haertsch

Pedestrians win – UK Highway Code review

June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 Regina Haertsch

Planning or a mirage

April 3, 2020April 3, 2020 Regina Haertsch

Make room for social distancing – some car-free streets sometimes please

December 9, 2019December 7, 2019 Regina Haertsch

NE Central Station exits and Elizabeth Street

Festive Feet
July 4, 2019July 4, 2019 Regina Haertsch

Membership Open

March 11, 2019March 9, 2019 Regina Haertsch

Pedestrian crossing

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