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How Walkable Is Your Community?

Getting started Pick a place to walk, like the route to the local school, a friend’s house, or just somewhere fun to go. Read over the checklist before you go, and as you walk note the locations of things you would like to change. At the end of your walk, give an overall rating to each question. Then add up the numbers to see how you rate your walk.

RATINGS: Use a rating scale of 1 to 6:
1 = awful       2 = lots of problems       3 = some problems       4 = good       5 = very good       6 = excellent

Location of Your Walk:       From:______________________       To: ____________________________

 

1. Did you have room to walk? (Check all that apply)
Plenty of room to walk
Missing sidewalks in places
Sidewalks were broken or cracked
Sidewalks blocked with poles, vendors, shrubbery,
Dumpsters, cars, construction equipment, tables, chairs, etc.
No sidewalks, paths, or shoulders
Too narrow sidewalks - too much foot traffic
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):

 

 

2. Was it easy to cross streets? (Check all that apply)
Easy to cross
Road was too wide
Traffic signals made us wait too long or not enough time to cross
Needed striped crosswalks or traffic signals
Parked cars blocked our view of traffic
Trees or plants blocked our view of traffic
Needed curb ramps or ramps needed repair
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):

 

 

 

3. Do drivers respect pedestrians? Drivers.... (check all that apply)
Were courteous and yielded the right of way
Pulled out of driveways without looking
Did not yield to people crossing the street
Turned into people crossing the street
Sped up to make it through traffic lights
Drove through red lights or stop signs
Bicyclists on sidewalks
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):

 

 

4. Was it easy to follow safety rules? Could you: (Check all that apply)
Cross at crosswalks or where you could see and be seen by drivers?
Stop and look left, right and then left again before crossing streets?
Walk on sidewalks or shoulders facing traffic where there were no sidewalks?
Cross with the light?
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):

 

 

5. Was your walk pleasant? (Check all that apply)
Needed more grass, flowers or trees
Scary dogs
Scary people
Dark areas, poorly lit
Too much noise
Dirty, lots of litter, trash, or dog droppings
Too many empty buildings or lots
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):


 

6. Where can you walk to in your neighborhood? (Check all that apply)
Playground
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Restaurants
Shopping Street / Downtown
Swimming Pool
Schoolyard
Church/Temple/Mosque
Bus / Trolley / Subway
Grandparents/Relatives
Friends
Something else?_____________________


Circle Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Locations of Problems (notes):


How does your neighborhood stack up? Add up your ratings and decide Question (1) _____ + (2) _____ + (3) _____ + (4) _____ + (5) _____ + (6) _____ TOTAL ______________

SCORING
32-36:
Celebrate! You have a great neighborhood for walking.

28-31:
Celebrate a little. Your neighborhood is pretty good.

21-27:
Okay, but it needs work.

14-20:
It needs lots of work. You deserve better than that.

Lower than 14:
It’s a disaster area, take a bodyguard.

Found some problems? Here are some things you can do to improve the walkability of your neighborhood.

Ways to Take Action

ISSUE


 WHAT YOU CAN DO
YOURSELF		 WHAT YOU CAN GET
DONE IN SHORT TERM		 WHAT YOU CAN GET
DONE OVER TIME

Walking Safety
Conflicts w/ vehicles,
unsafe crossing

 Document conditions and contact local papers Request police enforcement, write to your local municipal representative & write to your local traffic or streets Department to improve facility conditions Contact federal, state, & local legislators to press them for better enforcement of existing laws & write laws to put walking on at least an equal footing with driving.
Waking Facilities
Missing, decrepit or obstructed sidewalks		 Take pictures, contact building owners to request repair to their sidewalks Contact municipal and state district engineers of the traffic or transportation department to inspect. Contact your local paper's troubleshooter. Contact federal & state legislators to improve Department of Transportation's budget allocation for pedestrian facilities.
Walking Destinations Attend local zoning meetings to support mixed land use in your area. Support local businesses and public transit. Press local officials to support appropriate mixed use in neighborhoods& avoid zoning or parking policies that limit living, working, and shopping in the same area. Contact federal & state legislators to improve funding for mass transit & support mixed use neighborhoods through policy and funding.

 

 

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