The document provides information and tips for evaluating the walkability of a neighborhood and making improvements. It includes a checklist for assessing different aspects of walkability, such as the availability and quality of sidewalks, ease of street crossings, traffic safety, street amenities, and presence of destinations. The checklist can be used while walking with a child to rate an area and identify issues to help make the community more pedestrian-friendly. Suggestions are provided for both immediate fixes and longer-term solutions community members can implement.

1. Take a walk with a child
and decide for yourselves.
Everyone benefits from walking. These benefits
include: improved fitness, cleaner air, reduced risks
of certain health problems, and a greater sense of
community. But walking needs to be safe and easy.
Take a walk with your child and use this checklist
to decide if your neighborhood is a friendly place
to walk. Take heart if you find problems, there are
ways you can make things better.
Getting started:
First, you'll need to pick a place to walk, like the
route to school, a friend's house or just somewhere
fun to go.
The second step involves the checklist. 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 each question a
rating. Then add up the numbers to see how you
rated your walk overall.
After you've rated your walk and identified any
problem areas, the next step is to figure out what
you can do to improve your community's score.
You'll find both immediate answers and long-term
solutions under "Improving Your Community's
Score..." on the third page.
Walkability Checklist
How walkable is your community?

2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
U.S. Department
of Transportation
How walkable is your community?
1. Did you have room to walk?
Yes Some problems:
Sidewalks or paths started and stopped
Sidewalks were broken or cracked
Sidewalks were blocked with poles, signs,
shrubbery, dumpsters, etc.
No sidewalks, paths, or shoulders
Too much traffic
Something else ___________________
Locations of problems: _____________
Rating: (circle one) __________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 __________________________
3. Did drivers behave well?
Yes Some problems: Drivers...
Backed out of driveways without looking
Did not yield to people crossing the street
Turned into people crossing the street
Drove too fast
Sped up to make it through traffic lights or
drove through traffic lights?
Something else ___________________
Locations of problems: _____________
Rating: (circle one) __________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 __________________________

3. 4. Was it easy to follow safety rules?
Could you and your child...
Yes No Cross at crosswalks or where you could
see and be seen by drivers?
Yes No Stop and look left, right and then left
again before crossing streets?
Yes No Walk on sidewalks or shoulders facing
traffic where there were no sidewalks?
Yes No Cross with the light?
Locations of problems: ________
Rating: (circle one) __________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 __________________________
5. Was your walk pleasant?
Yes Some unpleasant things:
Needed more grass, flowers, or trees
Scary dogs
Scary people
Not well lighted
Dirty, lots of litter or trash
Dirty air due to automobile exhaust
Something else ___________________
Locations of problems: _____________
Rating: (circle one) __________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 __________________________
How does your neighborhood stack up?
Add up your ratings and decide.
1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____

4. 5. _____
Total _____
26-30 Celebrate! You have a great
neighborhood for walking.
21-25 Celebrate a little. Your
neighborhood is pretty good.
16-20 Okay, but it needs work.
11-15 It needs lots of work. You deserve
better than that.
5-10 It's a disaster for walking!
Location of walk _________________
________________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6
awful many
problems
some
problems
very goodgood excellent
2. Was it easy to cross streets?
Yes Some problems:
Road was too wide
Traffic signals made us wait too long or did
not give us 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

5. Something else ___________________
Locations of problems: _____________
Rating: (circle one) __________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 __________________________
Rating Scale:
Now that you've identified the problems,
go to the next page to find out how to fix them.
Take a walk and use this checklist to rate your neighborhood's
walkability.
1. Did you have room to walk?
Sidewalks or paths started and stopped
Sidewalks broken or cracked
Sidewalks blocked
No sidewalks, paths or shoulders
Too much traffic
• pick another route for now
• tell local traffic engineering or
public works department about
specific problems and provide a
copy of the checklist
• speak up at board meetings
• write or petition city for walkways
and gather neighborhood signatures
• make media aware of problem
• work with a local transportation
engineer to develop a plan for a safe
walking route 2. Was it easy to cross streets?

6. Road too wide
Traffic signals made us wait too long or did not
give us enough time to cross
Crosswalks/traffic signals needed
View of traffic blocked by parked cars, trees,
or plants
Needed curb ramps or ramps needed repair
3. Did drivers behave well?
Backed without looking
Did not yield
Turned into walkers
Drove too fast
Sped up to make traffic lights or drove
through red lights
4. Could you follow safety rules?
Cross at crosswalks or where you could see and be
seen
Stop and look left, right, left before crossing
Walk on sidewalks or shoulders facing traffic
Cross with the light
5. Was your walk pleasant?
Needs grass, flowers, trees
Scary dogs
Scary people
Not well lit
Dirty, litter
Lots of traffic
• pick another route for now

7. • share problems and checklist with
local traffic engineering or public
works department
• trim your trees or bushes that block
the street and ask your neighbors to
do the same
• leave nice notes on problem cars
asking owners not to park there
• educate yourself and your child
about safe walking
• organize parents in your
neighborhood to walk children to
school
• encourage schools to teach walking
safely
• help schools start safe walking
programs
• encourage corporate support for flex
schedules so parents can walk
children to school
• point out areas to avoid to your
child; agree on safe routes
• ask neighbors to keep dogs leashed
or fenced
• report scary dogs to the animal
control department
• report scary people to the police
• report lighting needs to the police or
appropriate public works department
• take a walk wih a trash bag
• plant trees, flowers in your yard
• select alternative route with less
traffic

8. • push for crosswalks/signals/ parking
changes/curb ramps at city meetings
• report to traffic engineer where
parked cars are safety hazards
• report illegally parked cars to the
police
• request that the public works
department trim trees or plants
• make media aware of problem
• pick another route for now
• set an example: slow down and be
considerate of others
• encourage your neighbors to do
the same
• report unsafe driving to the police
• petition for more enforcement
• request protected turns
• ask city planners and traffic engineers
for traffic calming ideas
• ask schools about getting crossing
guards at key locations
• organize a neighborhood speed
watch program
• request increased police enforcement
• start a crime watch program in your
neighborhood
• organize a community clean-up day
• sponsor a neighborhood beautification
or tree-planting day
• begin an adopt-a-street program
• initiate support to provide routes with
less traffic to schools in your

9. community (reduced traffic during am
and pm school commute times)
What you and your child
can do immediately
What you and your community
can do with more time
A Quick Health Check
Could not go as far or as fast as we wanted
Were tired, short of breath or had sore feet or muscles
Was the sun really hot?
Was it hot and hazy?
• start with short walks and work up
to 30 minutes of walking most days
• invite a friend or child along
• walk along shaded routes where
possible
• use sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher,
wear a hat and sunglasses
• try not to walk during the hottest
time of day
• get media to do a story about the
health benefits of walking
• call parks and recreation department
about community walks
• encourage corporate support for
employee walking programs
• plant shade trees along routes
• have a sun safety seminar for kids
• have kids learn about unhealthy ozone
days and the Air Quality Index (AQI)

10. Improving your
community's score...
Now that you know the problems,
you can find the answers.
Great Resources
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Traffic Safety Programs
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202) 662-0600
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/ped
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 662-0600
Fax: (202) 393-2072
www.safekids.org
WALKING AND HEALTH
US Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Children's Health Protection (MC 1107A)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202-564-2188
Fax: 202-564-2733
www.epa.gov/children/
www.epa.gov/airnow/
www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/ozone/what.html
www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html

11. www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/comchoic/ccweb.htm
President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and
Safety Risks to Children
www.childrenshealth.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity
Phone: (888) 232-4674
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/readyset
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/index.htm
Prevention Magazine
33 East Minor Street
Emmaus, PA 18098
www.itsallaboutprevention.com
Shape Up America!
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Suite 306
Bethesda, MD 20817
www.shapeup.org
ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALKS
US Access Board
1331 F Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1111
Phone: (800) 872-2253;
(800) 993-2822 (TTY)
www.access-board.gov
WALKING INFORMATION
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
UNC Highway Safety Research Center
730 Airport Road , Suite 300

12. Campus Box 3430
Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3430
Phone: (919) 962-2202
www.pedbikeinfo.org
www.walkinginfo.org
National Center for
Bicycling and Walking
Campaign to Make
America Walkable
1506 21st Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (800) 760-NBPC
www.bikefed.org
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY WEB SITES
USA event: www.walktoschool-usa.org
International: www.iwalktoschool.org
STREET DESIGN AND TRAFFIC CALMING
Federal Highway Administration
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Research Program
HSR - 20
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101
www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/index.htm
Institute of Transportation Engineers
www.ite.org
Surface Transportation Policy Project
www.transact.org
Transportation for Livable Communities

13. www.tlcnetwork.org
WALKING COALITIONS
America Walks
P.O. Box 29103
Portland, Oregon 97210
Phone: (503) 222-1077
www.americawalks.org
Partnership for a Walkable America
National Safety Council
1121 Spring Lake Drive
Itasca, IL 60143-3201
Phone: (603) 285-1121
www.nsc.org/walkable.htm
Need some guidance?
These resources might help...
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2
Do You Enjoy Walking
In Your Community?
Walkability Guide

14. Use this guide to learn more
about walkability and how you
can make your community safer
to walk
Photo: SANDAG
Street crossings should be available every 300
feet (about half the length of a block) and
should include:
• Painted or Decorative Crosswalk: makes
crosswalk easier to see
• Stop Bar: painted line that stops cars before
entering the crosswalk
• Curb Extension/Bulb-out: reduces pedestrian
crossing distance; makes pedestrians more
visible to drivers
• Median/Island: provides a halfway refuge
point that allows pedestrians to cross safely
Photo: SANDAG
1
About This Guide
Five Important Ingredients To A Walkable Community
What makes a community more walkable? There are 5 basic

15. ingredients to make your
neighborhood a place where people of all ages and abilities
have safe, enjoyable, and
easy access to their community on foot.1
Circulate San Diego believes every resident of the San Diego
region should be able to
walk safely in his/her community. Many people would like to
make their neighborhood
more pedestrian friendly but don’t know how. The Walkability
Guide was created to
help you. Read on to learn about five important ingredients of a
walkable community
and tips for working with your city to get what you want.
1. Bicycle Federation of America. (1998). Campaign to Make
America Walkable: Creating Walkable Communities.
1. Good Sidewalks
The basicdesign of a good sidewalk should
include:
• Pedestrian Zone: wide, level sidewalks in good
condition where pedestrians can walk and
wheelchairs can roll
• Parkway or Buffer Zone: allows for vegetation
and/or street furniture and buffers pedestrians
from vehicles
• Curb Zone: border between the street and
sidewalk with ramps for disabled and others to
access sidewalk
Photo: K. Ferrier

16. Street enhancements make walking feel safer,
more
comfortable and more inviting:
• Pedestrian Lighting
• Landscaping & Trees
• Clean & Well-maintained Sidewalks
• Amenities: such as drinking fountains, bathrooms,
and benches
• Public Art
3. Traffic Calming
4. Safety, Comfort & Beauty
Street improvements can slow vehicle speeds,
increase pedestriansafety, and allow for smooth
traffic flow:
• Curb Extension/Bulb-out: slows the speed of
turning vehicles
• Road Diet:slows traffic by reducing number of
lanes and lane widths
• Other: roundabout, median, pedestrian island,
and diagonal parking
Photo: D. Passmore
2

17. 5. Great Destinations
A community is more vibrant and desirable
if it has greatwalking destinations, like:
• Shopping: stores, markets, restaurants,
etc.
• Services: clinics, post office, bank, etc.
• Transportation: trolley, bus stop, train
• Recreation: parks, gardens, etc.
Photo: SANDAG
2. Safe & Easy Street Crossings
1 24
How walkable is your city?
Conduct a walk audit and look for the 5 ingredients to a
walkable community.
Download the BestWALK phone app for free and rate your
streets. Your input will help
score the walkability of your city for Circulate San Diego’s
Regional Walk Scorecard.
The BestWALK app is easy to use. Here’s how:
1. Download the app, BestWALK, on your iPhone or Android
2. When the app opens, enter your name, email address, city,
and age (optional)

18. 3. A map with red pins appears, select a pin to rate that street or
intersection and
press the check box
4. Press the “Go” button on the upper right corner
5. Begin rating streets or intersections!
More in depth directions on how to download and run the
BestWALK app are available
for iPhone and Android. Visit circulatesd.org/bestwalk for more
information.
BestWALK
3
Did you know a pedestrian is killed in a traffic collision
every 109 minutes in the U.S.? Circulate San Diego
wants you to be safe. Here are some tips:
• Obey all traffic signals and signs.
• Walk on the sidewalk. If there isn’t one, walk on the
left side of the street to face oncoming traffic.
• Use crosswalks if available, or cross at an
intersection.
• Before crossing the street, (1) stop, (2) look left,
right, and left again, and (3) listen for oncoming
vehicles, and (4) make eye contact with drivers to
make sure they see you.
• Be alert while crossing. Don’t be distracted texting
or talking on the phone.

19. • Be cautious around parked cars and driveways.
• Be predictable, don’t run suddenly out into the
street.
Pedestrian Safety
Photo: J.A. Ramirez
Be safe. Stay within the crosswalk if available.
1 26
References:
1. Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade, & Douglas.
(1993). The Pedestrian Environment: Making the Land Use
Transportation Air Quality
Connection.
2. Bicycle Federation of America. (1998).
Campaign to Make America Walkable: Creating Walkable
Communities.
3. National Center for Environmental Health.
(2008). Walkable Communities. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
4. U.S. Department of Transportation. (2008). A
Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(2009). Physical Activity and Health: The Benefits of Physical
Activity.
6. Litman, T. (1999). Evaluating Traffic Calming
Benefits: Costs and Equity Impacts. Victoria Transport Policy
Institute.
7. Envision Utah Partnership. (2002). Urban
Planning Tools for Quality Growth: Making Our Community a

20. Good Place to Walk.
8. Burden, D. (2001). Distinguished Lecture
Presentation to the Transportation Research Board, Washington,
D.C.
Think globally, act locally.
• If there are more people walking, there are fewer cars on the
roads and
less traffic congestion, less air and noise pollution, and less gas
being used,
which creates a healthier world for all of us!2,3
Environment
Community Strength
Walking in your neighborhood builds a sense of
community.
• People in walkable neighborhoods have a greater level of
pride and sense of ownership.8
• Walking in your neighborhood allows you to interact with
neighbors, forming connections and social support.3,8
Walking puts more ‘eyes on the street’.
• Walking in your neighborhood helps prevent crime
because there are more people around looking out for
one another.7
• A walkable community means a pedestrian is less likely to
get hit by a car and injured.4
Crime Prevention & Safety

21. Photo: SANDAG
Ph
ot
o:
J.
A
. R
am
ire
z
5
Benefits of Walkable Communities
Did you know that people who live in walkable neighborhoods
make four times as
many walking and biking trips, three times as many transit trips,
take fewer car trips,
and drive fewer miles?1 In a walkable community, cars and
traffic speeds are slower
and more controlled making it a safer place for walking.2 Read
on to learn more about
the many benefits of walking.
Health
Economic
Walkable communities promote physical activity and
good health.

22. • Children who walk are more active and develop a sense of
independence contributing to a life-long habit of
walking.2
• Walking 30 minutes per day can reduce the risk of obesity,
cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and
diabetes, and improve your mood and mental performance.3,4
• Seniors living in a walkable community have greater mobility
and independence, which helps reduce
falls and gives them more energy for the things they enjoy.5
Walkable neighborhoods financially benefit the
people who live & work there.
• People that live in a walkable community can
walk to buy groceries, do their laundry, and other
errands close to their home which supports
local businesses and saves money that would
otherwise go towards gas.4
• There are fewer cars on the road reducing
the need for spending city funds on road
improvements.2
• Residential property values are more likely to
increase in walkable communities.6
Photo: SANDAG
Circulatesd.org
1111 6th Ave., Suite 402
San Diego, CA 92101

23. 619-544-9255
Resources
Contact your city’s traffic engineer to tell them about your
walkability
concern. Tips for what to say when working with the city and
more
detailed information on city contacts can be found on Circulate
San
Diego’s website, www.circulatesd.org.
City of Carlsbad 760-931-2290
City of Chula Vista 619-397-6000
City of Coronado 619-522-7383
City of Del Mar 858-755-3294
City of El Cajon 619-441-1653
City of Encinitas 760-633-2709
City of Escondido 760-839-4651
City of Imperial Beach 619-423-8311
City of La Mesa 619-667-1450
City of Lemon Grove 619-825-3810
City of National City 619-336-4380
City of Oceanside 760-435-4373
City of Poway 858-668-4668
City of San Diego 619-527-7500
City of Santee 619-258-4100
City of San Marcos 760-744-1050 x 6
City of Solana Beach 858-720-2470
City of Vista 760-639-6177
Photo: R. Van Vleck
This guide supported by

24. Running head: WALKABILITY CHECKLIST 1
Walkability Checklist
Week Three Assignment
André Valdez
National University
COH 412 Injury Prevention
Professor Rowena Cadacio, MPH, MS
November 11, 2016
WALKABILITY CHECKLIST 2
Walkability Checklist

25. Having a safe environment that promotes physical activity is
important, especially in
neighborhoods where most destinations are close enough to
walk, such as in San Diego.
Recently, I observed the walkability of a local neighborhood in
Mira Mesa, located just a few
blocks west of the high school where I used the Walkability
Checklist as a guideline in my
review. Even though there are three schools within a five-block
radius of the neighborhood in
which I had observed, I feel this location scored rather poorly
given its location. Despite not
having an appropriate metric of assigning an actual score, the
Union Tribune had also assigned a
low walkability score for Mira Mesa. According to the article,
Mira Mesa’s score was a 52 out of
100 (Showley, 2013). This was a score categorized as
“Somewhat Walkable” and is just three
points away from being classified as “Car Dependent”
(Showley, 2013).
I had observed several of the houses along both sides of the
sidewalks had front and/or
side yards that were not properly maintained, resulting in
bushes and trees that impeded the

26. walkway. Next, there was a deficiency in safe places to cross
where most crossings were greater
than 300 feet from each other. Also, the speed limit posted
within the neighborhood I had
observed was 25 MPH. However, since the road paralleled a
close-by main road, there were cars
which frequently sped by at a high rate of speed, easily
exceeding the speed limit. Another
important observation, was that there were several 4-way
intersections that only had 2 stop signs
vice 4. This is extremely dangerous, because there were cars
that were observed speeding
through these intersections, which created an unsafe crossing
situation for both cars and
pedestrians. Another compounding risk were all the vehicles
that were parked alongside the
roads which created huge obstructions. And finally, there was
poor lighting along these
WALKABILITY CHECKLIST 3
neighborhood streets. Not only does this contribute to an even
more challenging environment to
navigate in at nighttime, but it also makes pedestrians feel

27. unsafe.
As a mitigating solution to improve the walkability in my
neighborhood, I would first
address the properties that were improperly maintained by
utilizing the city to cite the property
owner to eliminate immediate hazards that were feasibly
possible, such as shrubbery and other
similar nuisances to public safety. Next, I would coordinate
efforts with the City’s Urban
Forestry Section to evaluate and provide street tree maintenance
as necessary. Next, I would
recommend working abreast with my local City Councilman to
implement a speed trailer as a
tool for combating neighborhood speeding. And finally, I
recommend coordinating efforts with
the City of San Diego Street Division, and SDG&E to resolve
the poor lighting along the streets
within my neighborhood.
In closing, it’s unfortunate to learn that even though our
climate supports an active
lifestyle to include walking and biking, there’s a large portion
of our neighborhoods in San
Diego have a relatively low walkability score (Showley, 2013).
Understanding what resources

28. are available and through identifying an agency and/or public
health representative that can help
bridge the gap, are just examples of an effective method in
ensuring our neighborhoods
maintains a walkable score as our populations continues to
grow.
WALKABILITY CHECKLIST 4
References
Christoffel, T., & Gallagher, S. S. (2006). Injury prevention and
public health : practical
knowledge, skills, and strategies (2nd ed.). Sadbury,
Massachusetts, United States of
America: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved October 28,
2016
Showley, R. (2013, April 4). San Diego: Not made for walking.
The San Diego Union-Tribune.
San Diego, California, United States of America. Retrieved
November 12, 2016, from
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/growth-
development/sdut-walkability-

29. ranking-walkscore-2013apr04-htmlstory.html
Walk San Diego. (n.d.). Walkability Checklist. Walk San Diego.
San Diego, California, United
States. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from
https://nu.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-
2973007-dt-content-rid-
1285579_1/institution/National%20University/School%20of%20
Health%20%26%20Hu
man%20Services%20%28SHHS%29/Community%20Health%20
%28COH%29/COH%2
0412/Week-3/Walkability%20Checklist/embedded/walkabi
References