America's Walking: Neighborhood Walkability Quiz



		Neighborhood Walkability Quiz

What's Inside

	NEW! Quick Fit 15-Minute Exercise Program

	Ways to Make Your Community More Walkable

	Volunteering at America's National Parks

	Getting Them Walking at Work

Neighborhood Walkability Quiz

Take a typical walk in your community-to the store or a friend's house-and answer the five questions below. When answering, check all responses that apply.

Did you have room to walk?

Yes

If no, check all that apply (and note problem locations):

Sidewalks started and stopped.

Sidewalks were broken or cracked.

Sidewalks were blocked with poles, signs, dumpsters, and so on.

No sidewalks, paths, or shoulders to walk on.

Too much traffic to walk on the side of the road.

Was it easy to cross streets?

Yes

If no, check all that apply (and note problem locations):

Road was too wide to get across.

Traffic signals made us wait too long, or didn't give 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.

Did drivers behave well?

Yes

If no, check all that apply (and note problem locations):
Drivers...

Backed out of driveways without looking.

Did not yield to people crossing.

Turned into people crossing streets.

Drove too fast.

Sped up to make it through traffic lights or drove through red lights.

Stopped in or blocked crosswalks.

Did you feel safe?

Yes

If no, check all that apply (and note problem locations):

Saw suspicious activity or people.

No apparent houses, stores, or other places to go in case of trouble.

No public telephones.

Too dark-lights broken or not present.

Too few other pedestrians-too little activity on the street.

5. Was it a pleasant place to walk?

Yes No

If no, check all that apply (and note problem locations):

Needs more grass, flowers, or trees.

Needs water fountains.

Not enough shade.

No benches or places to sit.

Not well lit.

Dirty, lots of litter, trash, graffiti.

No public art or other appealing features.

Adapted from "The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness," by Mark Fenton (Lyons Press, 2001).