We are very lucky to live in location that has a vibrant 'small town' downtown that is now part of a larger city so just about everything is within walking range including a world class university and hospital. Also great parks and conservation lands which I hike in a few times a week.
Poll, Walk Score Where You Live
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Its good to see so many people who feel they could actually live without a car for even one trip. One comment suggested living without a car is for rich people. I am guessing he might be thinking about NYC or something similar. Right now, I live in a blue collar town that is a high walkability location. We happen to be the largest city in a rural county, Our population is 35k. I call us the county shopping town.
I expect the town services 250,000 people from nearby small towns, who must drive to get here. The 35k local residents get the benefit of two Wal-Marts, Lowes. HD, 5+ supermarkets, a hospital and one major medical facility, lots of dentists, restaurants, several pharmacies. parks, golf course, country club, 2 Rotary clubs, YMCA etc. Virtually all within 5 miles of 80% of the residents.
So why didn't a walking/biking culture happen here? I can't tell you for sure but my impression is that we have a USA 'car culture' that is well developed. People do not even think about leaving the house without heading directly for a motor vehicle. This happens no matter where they are going, the time that they have to get there and back, etc. This is what I think is the craziest example. A person who lives 3/4 mile from the YMCA where he swims for 30 minutes at least every other day, always drive to the Y. When asked why he drives, he never thought to get there any other way. Leaving the house almost always means doing it in a motor vehicle.
Others on this post say, I can't carry my groceries home without my car or other issues they feel are getting in their way. In some cases they may not have a choice. But, what is getting in the way of our YMCA swimmer? My theory is attitude and/or simply not even considering active transportation as an alternative. A person who can swim for 30 minutes can walk 3/4 of a mile.
I think we are making progress in my community with a great effort to develop Complete Streets and to build encouragement programs. But, it takes a lot of effort to get people to believe they can go shopping or to the Y by walking or biking. I expect a major change will not happen in my life time.
Motor vehicles are wonderfully comfortable. In my analysis, given all the benefits one can receive by driving, the motor vehicle is an addiction. Very hard to give up.
For those people who do not live in a place where walking and biking make sense, this is not addressing you. There are many people who must use a car. I use a car when I go to Costco, which is a 45 minute motor vehicle ride and $200 in product purchases. I will defend errands we need/want to do like my Costco run. But not to Kroger for a loaf of bread or to the Y for exercise which is 2 miles or less from home. In those situations, I make my car my second choice. It's not that I never use it but I need to convince myself, my motor vehicle should be my first choice for the errand.
I expect the town services 250,000 people from nearby small towns, who must drive to get here. The 35k local residents get the benefit of two Wal-Marts, Lowes. HD, 5+ supermarkets, a hospital and one major medical facility, lots of dentists, restaurants, several pharmacies. parks, golf course, country club, 2 Rotary clubs, YMCA etc. Virtually all within 5 miles of 80% of the residents.
So why didn't a walking/biking culture happen here? I can't tell you for sure but my impression is that we have a USA 'car culture' that is well developed. People do not even think about leaving the house without heading directly for a motor vehicle. This happens no matter where they are going, the time that they have to get there and back, etc. This is what I think is the craziest example. A person who lives 3/4 mile from the YMCA where he swims for 30 minutes at least every other day, always drive to the Y. When asked why he drives, he never thought to get there any other way. Leaving the house almost always means doing it in a motor vehicle.
Others on this post say, I can't carry my groceries home without my car or other issues they feel are getting in their way. In some cases they may not have a choice. But, what is getting in the way of our YMCA swimmer? My theory is attitude and/or simply not even considering active transportation as an alternative. A person who can swim for 30 minutes can walk 3/4 of a mile.
I think we are making progress in my community with a great effort to develop Complete Streets and to build encouragement programs. But, it takes a lot of effort to get people to believe they can go shopping or to the Y by walking or biking. I expect a major change will not happen in my life time.
Motor vehicles are wonderfully comfortable. In my analysis, given all the benefits one can receive by driving, the motor vehicle is an addiction. Very hard to give up.
For those people who do not live in a place where walking and biking make sense, this is not addressing you. There are many people who must use a car. I use a car when I go to Costco, which is a 45 minute motor vehicle ride and $200 in product purchases. I will defend errands we need/want to do like my Costco run. But not to Kroger for a loaf of bread or to the Y for exercise which is 2 miles or less from home. In those situations, I make my car my second choice. It's not that I never use it but I need to convince myself, my motor vehicle should be my first choice for the errand.
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96 walk score, 50 transit score, 65 bikeable
I can walk pretty much to any major store, post office, tons of restaurants, etc, so the walk score is not surprising.
The transit score seems low to me. I’m on a major bus line that will eventually be replaced by light rail (in a decade).
Either way, I appreciate being able to walk everywhere. I rarely drive when I need to run errands locally.
I can walk pretty much to any major store, post office, tons of restaurants, etc, so the walk score is not surprising.
The transit score seems low to me. I’m on a major bus line that will eventually be replaced by light rail (in a decade).
Either way, I appreciate being able to walk everywhere. I rarely drive when I need to run errands locally.
I've got most of that, definitely an urban area but very enjoyable to walk. I run and walk in any direction. The city has good sidewalks and I know where most of the water fountains are within a few miles! To get to more natural parks requires a short drive but I live in the biggest city in the densest county in FL so I'm not expecting wilderness. A few blocks away is a beautiful neighborhood of historic bungalows that is a very pleasant walk and Central Ave has about 3 miles of smaller storefronts that are fun to walk past. If curious, I'm in the Edge/Grand Central area. The Deuces is still a little rough but up and coming and a walkable distance from me. Long term plan for 16th St which divides the Edge and Grand Central district will turn it into another walkable corridor with ground level retail with a neighborhood market and mixed use buildings.
Yeah, I'm a fan of my City... the links are all my "backyard" and places I walk to,through, or past daily.
ETA: yuck, didn't know the hyperlinks would format that way.
acronymous
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70/60/91 for my neighborhood in north Seattle. I was a regular bike commuter when I was working downtown before the city started getting serious about bike lanes. Now, the infrastructure has made biking much more amenable and safe. It's a pleasure to ride the old bike around town!
Boose
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Walk score: 90, Bike score: 49 (no bike lanes), Transit score not rated, but there are buses - however irregular due to weather and staffing shortages.
We live in one of the most walkable areas in the otherwise unwalkable state of NH. Our neighborhood was built for mill workers before the dawn of the automobile, and although the city has sprawled a little since then, Aldi and 2 other supermarkets, as well as the hospital and a 3 mi. rail trail are within a 2-mile walk of downtown on sidewalks. I count myself very lucky to have found this area.
We live in one of the most walkable areas in the otherwise unwalkable state of NH. Our neighborhood was built for mill workers before the dawn of the automobile, and although the city has sprawled a little since then, Aldi and 2 other supermarkets, as well as the hospital and a 3 mi. rail trail are within a 2-mile walk of downtown on sidewalks. I count myself very lucky to have found this area.
I got a 53, but I don't feel it is that good, restaurants and shopping near, but, I don't use those restaurants! The best is 1.4 mile round trip to the nearest grocery store. After that it's 4 miles round trip and more to major shopping, Walmart/Lowes/Home Depot. And there is not a friendly walk/bike pathway. When I walk, I cross a 5 lane road and get to some quieter back roads to get away from traffic and the noise.
The website is not up to date, 5 of the 6 restaurants listed are no longer in business and the nearby liquor store is now a pharmacy. Some of this is because we had a hurricane 40 months ago, but that's plenty of time to update a website.
The website is not up to date, 5 of the 6 restaurants listed are no longer in business and the nearby liquor store is now a pharmacy. Some of this is because we had a hurricane 40 months ago, but that's plenty of time to update a website.
daylatedollarshort
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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In under a mile we have several major grocery store chains, a post office, several major banks, many restaurants, a bunch of specialty stores like drugs, liquor, pets and hardware and got a lower score than you. Our area has become more urban in the last decade, and especially the last 5 years, so maybe they are just using really old data to generate their scores.
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aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
We are an 11. But I walk an average of 10,000 steps per day. But a car hasn't run me down yet!
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I scored a 5 for walking but unless we go to the strip mall with a Tim Hortons, a restaurant, bakery, butcher, or gym that's about a kilometer away and there's nothing else close. We do like the restaurant and go there once a month or so but we always drive.
There are 3 major grocery stores, Costco, Canadian Tire, Walmart, liquor store, Home Depot, Lowes, a major electronics store (Visions), a couple furniture stores, plus a mall all clustered together about 7 kilometers away so it's convenient and quick to run all our errands in one trip but it's too far to walk.
There are 3 major grocery stores, Costco, Canadian Tire, Walmart, liquor store, Home Depot, Lowes, a major electronics store (Visions), a couple furniture stores, plus a mall all clustered together about 7 kilometers away so it's convenient and quick to run all our errands in one trip but it's too far to walk.
Andre1969
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I plugged in my current address, my previous address, the address of a condo I used to live in before that, and the address of a friend of mine in DC.
I got the following:
1) Current address in Crownsville, MD: 5 walk/no rating for anything else
2) Previous address in Glenn Dale, MD: 8 walk/37 bike
3) Old condo in Crofton, MD: 13 walk/27 bike
4) Friend in DC: 91 walk/79 bike/73 mass transit
On the surface, I'm surprised that my current home and two previous homes are so close together on the walk score. But then, I'm looking at it more along the lines of "how walkable is my neighborhood" versus "is there anything worth walking to". The previous house, and especially the old condo were much better for walking, in the sense that the roads are wider, and there are more shoulders and sidewalks. But, at the same time, there's still nothing really worth walking to, by their standards. They put the biggest priority on amenities within 1/4 mile (1320 feet), and once something's about 1.5 miles (a 30 minute walk) away, it has no value at all. My current and previous homes have small parks that are within that 1320 foot range (although with the current house, if you stick to the roads it's a half-mile from my driveway to the parking lot). At the condo, there was a little playground. But that's it. No stores or restaurants or anything like that within 1320 feet.
I got the following:
1) Current address in Crownsville, MD: 5 walk/no rating for anything else
2) Previous address in Glenn Dale, MD: 8 walk/37 bike
3) Old condo in Crofton, MD: 13 walk/27 bike
4) Friend in DC: 91 walk/79 bike/73 mass transit
On the surface, I'm surprised that my current home and two previous homes are so close together on the walk score. But then, I'm looking at it more along the lines of "how walkable is my neighborhood" versus "is there anything worth walking to". The previous house, and especially the old condo were much better for walking, in the sense that the roads are wider, and there are more shoulders and sidewalks. But, at the same time, there's still nothing really worth walking to, by their standards. They put the biggest priority on amenities within 1/4 mile (1320 feet), and once something's about 1.5 miles (a 30 minute walk) away, it has no value at all. My current and previous homes have small parks that are within that 1320 foot range (although with the current house, if you stick to the roads it's a half-mile from my driveway to the parking lot). At the condo, there was a little playground. But that's it. No stores or restaurants or anything like that within 1320 feet.
Trailwalker
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The walk score site seems to be evolving. My walk score was a 5 when this thread first started; now it's 25. I have about a mile walk on a two-lane highway to the Ice Age Trail, a national scenic trail, and I can walk to the grocery store, wine bar, etc. That works for me. Lots of country roads for biking, but they aren't "designated."
LastOfTheBoomers
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92 for our condo. Also the reason we only have one car now.
lucky penny
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Great post.
Badger
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Walk score 27 and bike score is 60. We live a mile from grocery, restaurants, pharmacy, banks, post office, fitness centers, bakery, liquor/wine stores, etc. at the edge of town on a main road and the entire town is residential. Golf carts have become very popular for dropping of kids at the school, shopping, or just getting around but I don't see that we would ever get one as long as I have my recumbent trike and my repurposed child trailer.
Cheers!
Cheers!
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euro
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27. Sounds about right. 
gooddog
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For our very remotely located home in California - 75.
Four our centrally located home in Florida - 48.
Four our centrally located home in Florida - 48.
One of the criteria I was absolutely not willing to compromise on when we moved to our current home was to have a good supermarket within walking distance.
We have that, but just barely. If I take the route where it's all on sidewalks, the store is exactly two miles from home. I can also take another route where there are no sidewalks and it's a little risky but that's only one mile. The bonus is that there is lots of other great shopping in the same area.
Good enough for me, but not even close to achieving a good walk score.
We have that, but just barely. If I take the route where it's all on sidewalks, the store is exactly two miles from home. I can also take another route where there are no sidewalks and it's a little risky but that's only one mile. The bonus is that there is lots of other great shopping in the same area.
Good enough for me, but not even close to achieving a good walk score.
ddoorn
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39 - Should Be Scored Higher!
Apparently my neighborhood is car-dependent. I love the fact that everything I need is within a 2 mile radius. My wife gets itchy to think about moving, but I pull her feet to the ground every time as I think there are many ideal features to our location. We both work out of an office (part-time for me, quasi-retired) that is 1 1/2 miles from our home. The neighborhood and city park that spans that 1 1/2 mile is well kept with homes that have trees, flowers and bushes. The city park is well cared for with walking trails. The 3 mile round trip from home to work and back is just so PERFECT!
There is a full grocery store and CVS less than a mile away as well as small Mom & Pop style restaurants for dining out.
Besides this, I'm a member of our local bicycle club and I find riding my bike around town is very easy and just a little ride outside the town and I'm out on country roads and able to soak up the gorgeous rural upstate New York hills and valleys.
Color me HUGELY CONTENTED!
Apparently my neighborhood is car-dependent. I love the fact that everything I need is within a 2 mile radius. My wife gets itchy to think about moving, but I pull her feet to the ground every time as I think there are many ideal features to our location. We both work out of an office (part-time for me, quasi-retired) that is 1 1/2 miles from our home. The neighborhood and city park that spans that 1 1/2 mile is well kept with homes that have trees, flowers and bushes. The city park is well cared for with walking trails. The 3 mile round trip from home to work and back is just so PERFECT!
There is a full grocery store and CVS less than a mile away as well as small Mom & Pop style restaurants for dining out.
Besides this, I'm a member of our local bicycle club and I find riding my bike around town is very easy and just a little ride outside the town and I'm out on country roads and able to soak up the gorgeous rural upstate New York hills and valleys.
Color me HUGELY CONTENTED!
troutnut1
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It says I am a 2 here in rural Montana and that “Most errands require a diesel pickup” and that I should watch out for bikes on the highway.
ddoorn
Recycles dryer sheets
I'm not seeing how to get the bike score at this site, it only lists walk score:
https://www.walkscore.com/score/
https://www.walkscore.com/score/
I was actually surprised to see a walking score of 1 for our house; figured it had to be zero. We actually drive to walk, even when we just walk on streets. Using a phone in South America to read and post--maybe that's why I see nothing about bicycle and transit?
We live in the middle of acreage, off of a one-lane road, which connects to a fairly heavily trafficked, narrow, two-lane road with no shoulders, ditches on each side, and blindspots.
I think I know what the other scores would be...
Supposed to get another lane and a walking path on the nasty two-lane road within 3-5 years. That'll help a lot, but probably won't affect scores much, as we'll still be 3 miles from groceries and train station.
We live in the middle of acreage, off of a one-lane road, which connects to a fairly heavily trafficked, narrow, two-lane road with no shoulders, ditches on each side, and blindspots.
I think I know what the other scores would be...Supposed to get another lane and a walking path on the nasty two-lane road within 3-5 years. That'll help a lot, but probably won't affect scores much, as we'll still be 3 miles from groceries and train station.
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