Walkability
"Walking is convenient, it needs no special equipment, is self-regulating and inherently safe. Walking is as natural as breathing".
John Butcher, Founder Walk21, 1999
Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has many health, environmental, and economic benefits. But evaluating walkability requires the consideration of many factors such as: the presence or absence and quality and connected sidewalks, traffic and road conditions, land use patterns, building accessibility, safety, street trees and landscaping and other factors.
Rating Walkability
Advantages of Improving Walkability:
- Increased safety for pedestrians by reducing road dangers
- Less crime
- Improved spaces for people
- Improved accessibility and economic growth for businesses
- Inclusive mobility for all ages and abilities
- Increased health and wellness of community members
- Integrated networks that improve roadway capacity and transportation options
What are characteristics of a walkable community?
(from www.walkable.org)
- Intact town centers. This center includes a quiet, pleasant main street with a hearty, healthy set of stores, library, post office, youth and senior services all within a ¼ mile walk (about 5 minutes) from the center of town. (insert photos of good examples in Pueblo Downtown Mesa Junction area, bad examples – big box stores, no bike lane Dillon Dr, narrow attached sidewalk)
- Residential densities, mixed income, mixed use. Near the town center, and in a large town at appropriate transit locations, there will be true neighborhoods. Higher densities are near the town center and in appropriate concentrations further out. Housing includes mixed income and mixed use. A truly walkable community does not force people to drive to where they work. Aspen, for example, is a great place to shop and play...but fails to provide housing for anyone who works there.
- Public space. There are many places for people to assemble, play, and associate with others within their neighborhood. The best neighborhoods have welcoming public space within 1/8th mile (700 feet) of all homes. These spaces are easily accessed by all people. (insert photos of good examples in Pueblo)
- Universal design. The community has a healthy respect for people of all abilities, and has appropriate ramps, medians, refuges, crossings of driveways, sidewalks on all streets where needed, benches, shade, and other basic amenities to make walking feasible and enjoyable for everyone. Photo of new bump outs, good/bad examples Elizabeth yes/no island refuges)
- Key streets are speed controlled. Traffic moves on main streets and in neighborhoods at safe, pleasant, courteous speeds. Most streets are designed to keep speeds low. Many of these streets are tree lined, have on-street parking, and use other affordable methods to keep traffic speeds under control. There is an absence of one-way couplets designed to flush the downtown of its traffic in a rush or flight to the suburbs. In most parts of the nation the streets are also green, or have other pleasant landscaping schemes in dry climates.
- Streets & trails are well linked. The town has a good block form, often in a grid or other highly connected pattern. Although hilly terrain calls for slightly different patterns, the linkages are still frequent. Some of the newer neighborhoods that were built to cul-de-sac or other fractured patterns are now being repaired for walking by putting in trail connectors in many places. These links are well designed so that there are many eyes on these places. Code for new streets no longer permits long streets that are disconnected. Photos of poor links to River Trail
- Design is properly scaled to 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 mile radius segments. From most homes it is possible to get to most services in 1/4 mile (actual walked distance). Neighborhood elementary schools are within a 1/4 mile walking radius of most homes, while high schools are accessible to most children (1 mile radius). Most important features (parks) are within 1/8 mile, and a good, well designed place to wait for a high frequency (10-20 minutes) bus is within 1/4 to 1/2 mile.
- The town is designed for people. Decisions are made for people first, cars second. Does the town have a lot of open parking lots downtown? Are many streets plagued with multiple commercial driveways, limited on-street parking, fast turning radii on corners? Towns designed for people have many investments being made in plazas, parks, and walkways. Investments in intersections on the far reaches of town are rare.
- The town is thinking small. The most walkable towns are boldly stepping forward requiring maximum parking allowed, versus minimum required. Groceries, and other important stores, are not permitted to build above a reasonable square footage, must place the foot print of the structure to the street, etc. Neighborhood schools are community centers. Older buildings are rebuilt in place, or converted to modern needs. Most parking is on-street.
- In walkable communities there are many people walking. This sounds like a silly statement at first...but think again. Often there are places that look walkable, but no one walks. Why? There is always a reason. Is it crime? Is there is no place to walk to, even though the streets and walkways are pleasant? Are the downtown stores not open convenient hours? Another clue, where people walk in great abundance virtually all motorists are courteous to pedestrians...hard to believe, but true! Photos downtown of busy sidewalks vs empty sidewalks, lack of connection b/w River Trail and Main/Union sidewalks. Photo along Highway/Elizabeth – new 10-ft wide connected sidewalks are no man land next to fast traffic
- The town and the neighborhoods have a vision. Visionary master plans provide direction, build ownership of citizens, engage diverse people, and create opportunities for implementation. A well thought out master plan gets past sticky issues, and deals with the most basic, fundamental, necessary decisions and commitments. There are budgets set aside for neighborhoods, for sidewalks, trails, links, and parks. The community no longer talks about where they will get the money, but how they will change their priorities. Link to Pueblo Urban Renewal plan.
- Decision-makers are visionary, communicative, and forward-thinking. The town has a strong majority of leaders who "get it." Leaders know that they are not there to do all the work...but to listen and respond to the most engaged, involved, and broad minded citizens. They are rarely swayed by the anti-group, they seek the opinions and involvement of big brush citizens and retailers. They are purposefully changing and building policies, practices, codes, and decisions to make their towns pleasant places for people...reinvesting in the town center, disinvesting in sprawl. These people know the difference between a green field, brown field, and gray field. They know what Active Living by Design is all about. The regional government understands and supports the building of a town center, and is not attempting to take funds from the people at the center to induce or support sprawl.