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How walkable is Lincoln?

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By staff and wire reports

Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007 - 12:24:56 am CDT

With all the talk these days, you’d think that walking might save the world.

It’s good for your health and the planet ... have you heard that before?

But just how “walkable” is Lincoln? Can you really get around only on foot, with everything you need within walking distance, depending on where you live?

Story Photo
(photos.com)

Related Link(s):


Walkscore.com

The Web site Walkscore.com is here to help. Type in an address on the site and a Google map pops up. Blue icons show you nearby restaurants, stores, schools, coffee shops, bars, restaurants, parks and more. A list identifies the map destinations and their distance from your starting point.

And the site ranks the spot on a “walkable” scale of 0-100, with scores above 90 a “walker’s paradise,” and scores below 25 signifying no destinations within walking range, which the site creators consider to be anything farther than a mile. (Obviously, if you’re a bicyclist, especially in our town of fabulous trails, your neighborhood can be considered “rideable” at a longer range.)

The creators admit, however, the scoring system isn’t perfect: It measures distances “as the crow flies,” so it won’t account for something like, say, Holmes Lake lying between you and the nearest grocery store. It also doesn’t account for how safe a neighborhood is, which can make using this site for help in moving to a new city a little dicey. And of course it doesn’t account for the fact that for some of us, a mile is a long walk when it’s 10 degrees (or 110) outside.

Also, it’s only as accurate as Google maps, so you can’t blame this site for considering Haymarket Park to be a “park” instead of a baseball stadium, and some of the other unusual classifications that only we Lincolnites will identify.

We spent some time playing on the site and ranked the “walkability” of 10 locations.

Here’s how they scored:

1. Ninth and O: 92/100. Not surprisingly, the best walkability site of all we tried. Pretty much anything you’d want is within a mile. No grocery stores, you say? Walkscore.com will tell you to go to La Corona at First and O (0.62 miles away), and India and La Mexicana groceries at 17th and P (0.57 miles away).

2. First and Adams: 28/100. Interstate 180, Oak Lake and State Fair Park mean this site is geographically isolated, so the lower score isn’t a big surprise.

3. 17th and Van Dorn: 54/100. El Sitio restaurant and Irvingdale Park are within spitting distance, boosting this spot’s rating. Grocery stores, a coffee house, schools and shopping aren’t too far away, either. And who knew that Ray’s Luv Shop (14th and South) is considered a “bookstore”!

4. 27th and Pine Lake Road: 69/100. If you can live without a hardware store and a bar within a mile, this would be a good neighborhood for you.

5. 27th and Vine: 63/100. A good score, not surprisingly, for a central Lincoln address. The farthest amenities are downtown and campus features (like Nebraska Bookstore). Notice how blue icons fill the map north on 27th Street and west on O Street.

6. 35th and M: 38 /100. We were looking for a spot that was more residential but close to O Street and generally in the middle of town. The main amenities within about a half-mile of here are St. Theresa’s School and Church, Runza and Woods Park.

7. 48th and Huntington: 88/100. Surprise! This area between UNL’s East Campus and Nebraska Wesleyan scores almost as high as downtown addresses. The Joyo at more than a mile and a half away is the farthest jaunt.

8. 48th and Calvert: 74/100. Not as “walkable” as the neighborhoods around the city’s other colleges, but this is still a pretty good score. Everything you’d want (except a movie theater) is within three-fourths of a mile.

9. 56th Street and Old Cheney Road: 75/100. Given all the options in Edgewood, this score isn’t surprising. This score is skewed, too, because the map didn't recognize Edgewood movie theater.

10. 70th and Adams: 28/100. The YMCA and Sportscasters Bar are very close, but most everything else is at least a mile away.

11. 70th and A: 51/100. A good location for schools, parks, fitness and restaurants. But other stores (grocery, retail and coffee houses) are too far to be “walkable.”


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Eric wrote on October 16, 2007 1:01 am:
" The one thing that would improve the walkability in this town immensely would be for drivers to memorize one easy phrase. "Turning traffic must yield to crossing pedestrians." Oh and one other thing: Your car is not a phone booth! Eric "
Larry wrote on October 16, 2007 7:47 am:
" There's a part of town north of O Street too?!? "
N wrote on October 16, 2007 8:20 am:
" Well said Eric. I am someone who has seizures and so I have to give up driving for 90 days each time. I have a two year old so its impossible to stay at home. We walk quite far, to the stores, the library etc. It is awful - drivers yell at you for being slower crossing (i have a stroller with a two year old and groceries and you get 10 seconds to cross!). If there is construction on the sidewalk there is no alternative route for a pedestrian except to walk into traffic and run for it! Also in the winter when we walking with all the snow (yes I did it then), the City was terrible for cleaning the sidewalks at the crossing area - I felt I was climbing Everest some times to get across. The snow even reached the heighth of the crosswalk button at one point on 48th and O. Walking is no fun in Lincoln at all - we could do a lot better! "
peb wrote on October 16, 2007 9:13 am:
" And another phrase to memorize: Do not speed up when you see a pedestrian crossing the street. Better yet: Pedestrians ALWAYS have the right-of-way. "
Khan wrote on October 16, 2007 9:18 am:
" Try new developments like North of I-80 on 14th street or far southeast. Lucky to get a double digit score. People walk? What an inhumane thing to do! That is what cars are for! "
MP wrote on October 16, 2007 9:19 am:
" Glad to see this . I always enjoy walking around Lincoln when I visit. Sure beats where I live where "sidewalk" is not in the city's vocabulay or along the city streets. "
MWC wrote on October 16, 2007 9:59 am:
" The other thing this score doesn't seem to take into account is how pedestrian friendly a neighborhood is. 27th and Pine Lake has plenty of amenities, but that intersection is about as unfriendly to walkers as one can get. "
My Neighborhood wrote on October 16, 2007 10:00 am:
" How little am I surprised. I typed in my Highlands address and received a 14 (0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!). This neighborhood has been here for 20 years. There are hundreds of houses, hundreds of apartments, many hundreds of families, but Lincoln ignores us. There is zero shopping, zero restaurants (aside from fast food), zero anything. Thanks for dumping on us, City Council. "
Kari wrote on October 16, 2007 10:42 am:
" I visited Washington D.C. a few years ago, and loved the idea of walking everywhere we went, including down to the corner market (I never did see a Wal-Mart or supercenter, and didn't miss it, either!). Thank heaven for Old Navy flip-flops! I would complain about Lincoln, but am moving to a small NE town, and the nearest grocery is 15 minutes away, and open from 8am-7pm! We're not so bad!!! "
Too bad wrote on October 16, 2007 10:57 am:
" Too bad driving in Lincoln isn't easy. Something needs to be done to address horrible road conditions. We can afford to buy steve pederson out for over 2 million, why can't we work on expanding aterial streets to make it better for drivers and walkers! For every dollar Lincoln invests in expanding and improving its infastructure, it would recieve several back in economic expansion and growth, why is everyone so blind as to see a minimal investment will not only improve the city but drastically cut down on driving time and frustration. "
Correction to... wrote on October 16, 2007 11:11 am:
" Pedestrians have the right of way PROVIDED they are in a cross walk, or if they are blind and using a white cane. Not that that's either hear nor there in relation to the article. However with all the fuss of the polution people seem to be complaining about, I think that this site is a great idea and walking is an even better one. "
Brenda wrote on October 16, 2007 11:13 am:
" I checked out my home address and lots of businesses are missing! I live north of East Park, and only a few of the businesses are listed. Still scored 68/100! "
R wrote on October 16, 2007 11:21 am:
" It isn't the City Council who decides to put a business that you enjoy by your home, it is the busines owner. If memory serves me right you have a a few bars in that area, a gas station, fast food and if you exit towards the airport there are even more. Stop blaming the City Council for everything you can't afford. I think Lincoln is a great city, but you have to think before you move. if you want to walk, then think about it and live downtown or near the major shopping areas of town, if you want a space and a nice big neighborhood then pick one of the many we have to offer. You can't have everything... One thing that we could have is better public transportation, which would make everything within 'not taking my car out' distance. But again, the routes and times are so bad that only a select 'special' few can use them. who really has an hour to go anywhere when the location you want is 15 mins away...nice route planning. "
northener wrote on October 16, 2007 11:31 am:
" Maybe this 2015 Vision group should focus on something north of O street. There isn't any shopping center other than walmart. How about seeing if we can get a low end south pointe over here. I say low end because those south think that the north side can't afford anything other than a walmart. "
Travis wrote on October 16, 2007 11:33 am:
" Check out the horrible conditions off of 32nd and West A, there isn't even a sidewalk connecting the neighborhoods to the local businesses and schools. I have seen many people walking or riding bikes on the busy narrow 2 lane street, while barely avoiding becoming an accident victim. Something should be done to assure that each neighborhood has some access to businesses and schools. I have driven to other newer developments and they have several sidewalks and even walking paths through their neighborhoods. It doesn't sound like the city government is working for all areas of the city. "
Rys wrote on October 16, 2007 1:41 pm:
" I just moved into the 56th and Old Cheney area and am thrilled that I can easily walk or bike to pretty much anywhere I would need to go! This is a good article, walking more often is definitely a good idea. "
Dale wrote on October 16, 2007 3:36 pm:
" Fabulous trails? You haven't lived anywhere else have you? The trail are ok but this town has a ton of missing sidewalk sections, overly narrow sections and drivers that have no courtesy for pedestrians or respect for the law. The law clearly states that when reasonably possible the driver MUST yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. The police appear to offer zero enforcement on this problem but perhaps that is because the city engineers do not support that law. By not support pedestrian safety the engineers are demonstrating a believe that pedestrians are not an important component to the city. "
Mom with Stroller wrote on October 16, 2007 4:09 pm:
" I think there should be a stoller variable factored in. Its tough when you have a little one and there aren't any smooth sidewalks. Of course some areas have missing sidewalks as is! One concern that I have is the sidewalks around the mall. There isn't a great way to get to the O street mall pushing a stroller unless you bring it is a car first. How silly! "
North side wrote on October 16, 2007 4:21 pm:
" It just bothers me to watch all of the children walk along 14th street north of superior to go to school every day. The speed limit is 45 miles an hour and there are no sidewalks for them to walk on. "
Jodi wrote on October 16, 2007 6:06 pm:
" I live near 48th and Huntington and was surprised at how convenient and close lots of places are. Once the HyVee closes, it won't be quite as pedestrian-friendly, but there is still a lot within walking distance. "
Pretty good overall wrote on October 16, 2007 10:38 pm:
" Lincoln is a pretty walkable city (compared to alot of other places not on the East Coast) but it seems that some places seem very walkable while other places (mainly north Lincoln) seem to be lacking the necessary sidewalks. So I'd give Lincoln a grade of about B or B- compared to non-East Coast and non-major cities. Overall it's good but definite improvements are needed in some places. "

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