Talk:Footpath

Usage of term for pedestrian movement

This page was a straight redirect to Trail, which is simply wrong for many English speakers. In Irish, Australia, New Zealand, and Indian English usage, a footpath is always unambiguously a sidewalk, and "footpath" is the primary term used to refer to such. An immediate redirect to Trail is confusing for any English speaker from those cultures, so this needs to be disambiguated here rather than redirected. -dmmaus 22:41, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

• Disagree. The most common English use of footpath is a path through fields or woods - what the US calls a trail. The hatnote at the trail article redirected people to other uses of footpath. Now it is incorrect. Can an administrator please swap footpath and footpath (disambiguation). --Bermicourt (talk) 19:37, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

• There is already a summary of different terms used around the world for trails and footpaths in the 'Etymology/Usage' of the Trail article; also the 'Terminology' section in the Sidewalk article. Can we build up a more comprehensive picture of English speaking terminology in those articles? Personally I think their is a place for an further article discussing urban and shorter paths that are not associated with a highway and that this would be the logical place to do it. PeterEastern (talk) 09:59, 4 April 2010 (UTC)

Make this an article of its own

I think that there needs to be an article for Footpath instead of a disambiguation page. A footpath is a path, way, or course that allows for pedestrian use. Types of footpaths include: walking trails, pedestrain ways, hiking trails, snowshoe trails and running courses. Some footpaths prohibit non-pedestrian use. - tSR - Nth Man (talk) 05:39, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for all this work - its certainly good to see progress with this article however I suggest that the scope is tightened to cover only short paths (often urban) to compliment the trail article which has a focus on longer distance paths. I suggest that we build up the thoroughfare article to be an 'umbrella' article for all types of path. I have moved some content to the thoroughfare article, tweeked the trail lead and reworked to lead of this article to that effect. Lets work on the articles over the next few days and see how they come together. PeterEastern (talk) 16:31, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure that narrowing the scope in regards to the length of path is correct. There are plenty of country paths or wilderness paths, like in protected wilderness areas, that are limited to only pedestrian travel. I think that's where the scope of the article needs to be narrowed, perhaps. Make it a stricter sense of the term. So, "a footpath is a thoroughfare where only pedestrian travel is allowed"? Worded better though.- tSR - Nth Man (talk) 03:21, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

• We seem to be both trying to edit the article at the same time - here is the lead I was proposing "A footpath (pedestrian way, footway) is a thoroughfare intended for pedestrian use and possibly also by other simpler transport modes. Footpaths normally prohibit motor vehicles, however some allow bicycle and other simpler non-motorised vehicles. Terminology varies and in some places the same terms may be used tovdescribe a sidewalk (beside a road) or a trail (a longer distance path for hiking). The term footpath can also refer to erosion on a surface, such as soil, due to it being walked upon.^{[citation needed]} In some regions, such as in England and Wales, there are paths on which the public have a legally protected right to travel on foot." PeterEastern (talk) 16:37, 15 May 2010 (UTC)