how walkable is your neighborhood?

(image source: pedestrians.org)

check out your walk score using this new website, which uses a proprietary algorithm to determine how livable your neighborhood is if you only get around by foot. i was surprised to see that my semi-urban kensington address scored lower (72) than my brother's suburban poway address (79). while he does have plenty of shops on the main drag of poway road that are within walking distance, the road itself is not a very pedestrian-friendly place. even though the speed limit is 35, cars routinely drive 50 mph (he used to patrol there), and the road is 4 lanes wide, plus turning lanes. not the kind of place i'd want to walk.

even worse are the new subdivisions in eastlake, east of chula vista. while there's plenty of sidewalks, what's there to walk to? first you have to make your way out of your massive development onto a feeder road, where cars whizz by at 60 mph, and you can walk for miles before seeing another pedestrian, or hitting another generic strip mall. give in to suburbia and just get in the car... and hey, stop by krispy kreme for another shot of sugar and fat while you're on your way.

i'll have to check if the site allows feedback on issues like this one - is it even possible to access the speed limits and number of lanes on a road for input to their algorithm? regardless, it's a neat development to see a site that recognizes the positive impacts of living in a walkable neighborhood - health and environment foremost among them.