Access Atlanta > The Newcomer > Archives > 2008 > September > 02
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Walkable Atlanta: is it really out there?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Larissa Bradburn, her son Andrew and daughter Erin walked to Morningside Elementary School last April. They left their home at 7:20 a.m. and made the 10 minute walk to school.
Every morning, I walk about a mile to my MARTA station for my commute to work. During the week, I might walk to the downtown library, the coffee shop, some veggie-friendly lunch spot or some meeting. (Driving requires I check out a mid-’90s AJC Blazer. After a few too many failed attempts to start or roll out of the parking lot without the gas tank hitting empty, I avoid it.)
Outside work, I frequent a small number of bars and restaurants almost entirely because they’re in walking distance. I walk to the grocery store, the ATM, the post office, most of the stuff I need to get by.
So yeah, much of my Atlanta is walkable. What about yours?
Of the 40 largest cities in the United States, Walk Score rates Atlanta as the 22nd most walkable city. (Our overall score is 52, on the very low end of “Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.”) The site lists our most walkabout neighborhoods as Five Points, Poncey-Highland and Sweet Auburn. Their ranking doesn’t seem to include even the close-in suburbs, though, which can have a very different dynamic on foot.
There seems to be a lot of talk, planning and even some action on walkability.
A July AJC story pointed out that as the numbers of pedestrians increases, many police departments are paying more attention to laws that protect them.
The local advocacy group Pedestrians Education Drivers on Safety provides information about how to improve walking conditions from requesting a sidewalk fix, to reporting a non-working pedestrian signal, to seeking a curb ramp installation.
The Walkable Atlanta Task Force presented a “The Plan for a Walkable Atlanta” in 2004. With only six months of Atlanta living experience, it’s hard for me to know how much has changed since this was presented.
What do you think the Atlanta metro area’s most walkable spots are? Is it more walkable than it used to be, and do you walk here more often? And what can we do to make the area more ped-friendly?
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