Sydney council questioned over 'ridiculous' path: 'Baffles me'
A Sydney council has been mocked by residents over a poorly designed footpath which has left many locals equally baffled and amused.
The footpath in question is in the Sutherland Shire suburb of Illawong, in Sydney's south, and runs along Gerald Road and Blaxland Road, two residential streets in the area.
One person took aim at the footpath online pointing out that the sections of the path between driveways don't line up.
Most footpaths we see on our streets run in a continuous line, so locals were quick to question this unusual result.
"Well done Sutherland Council and whoever did the Gerald Rd and Blaxland Rd footpath," the local wrote on Facebook.
"Great we now have a path, and you curved the footpath around a couple of trees but the other parts where the sections of the footpath don't actually meet up baffles me."
The woman said the path "looks ridiculous" and added it"could be a major trip hazard".
Swarms of locals reacted to the post with many just as confused about the design.
"Good to know it’s not only me that’s bothered by it every time I see it," one said.
"I think it’s called laziness," a second hit out.
Meanwhile, others couldn't help but find the wonky path amusing.
"If you walk home drunk it will look straight," one quipped.
"Someone needs to go to Specsavers," joked another.
Some people suggested reasons why they thought it was a deliberate council design. Few thought it had to do with "property boundaries" while others suggested tree roots being in the way prompted the council to work the path around them.
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Local council explains the wonky path
A spokesperson from Sutherland Shire Council told Yahoo News that local footpaths are carefully designed to "ensure longevity and to minimise trip hazards which can develop over time".
"Council staff take particular care to minimise the impact of the roots of nearby trees lifting up the concrete path, and causing an uneven and unsafe surface for pedestrians and other users," they said.
"To ensure this, newly constructed paths may at times deviate from a strictly straight trajectory to ensure a longer lifespan and better value for local ratepayers."
The new footpath is a part of a $1.9m investment which will see new footpaths in priority areas throughout the area. The cost will also go towards upkeep of existing footpaths.
Areas with high pedestrian volumes and surrounding town centres, schools, shopping and commercial precincts are being considered.
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