You enter an address and walkscore computes a measure of how walkable that address is from the proximity of nearby parks, schools, restaurants, etc. (based on the Google maps database).
The maximum result is 100, and they categorize the location according to the following intervals:
To a limited extent, I would think that the walkscore would be a decent measure of the bikability of the address as well, although it does not take into account important factors such as the quality of the roads for biking. But it gives you a good sense for how many destinations are within a very short bike ride.90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
Interestingly my home here in Los Alamos ranks 42 out of 100, at the high end of the "not walkable" range.
3 comments:
The distances it outputs are badly incorrect. From my home in north community, it reports about 2miles to
Smiths.
I don't even think its 2 miles directly the 'way the crow flies'. The odometer
on my car reports around 4.
caveat emptor
I got an 82. I'm downtown off Oppenheimer.
I think it should be lower since the trinity beverage restaurant and bar are now gone.
Maybe the Bar closing offsets the Restaurant closing so it's a wash?
I've been very nearly killed twice by patrons of that Bar driving drunk and out of control when they were turning out on to Trinity.
One time it was a fraction of a second from sure death as my wife and I jumped out of the way of an out of control truck that jumped up on the sidewalk where we were walking one night on the sidewalk next to Ashley Pond.
God help any Bicyclist who was on Trinity or Diamond that night. They would have stood no chance against this drunken maniac.
I'm glad the Bar is gone from my neighborhood where we walk at night frequently.
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By the way Neale,
I tried to get a few answers from the county to complete the American Bike Associations - Bike Friendly town survey. I haven't received any responses from the county yet so I think I am going to have to make a personal visit to get answers. I am still working on it.
-Greg
My walk score is 45… I was rather upset with it. And I was surprised to know that there is another score called drive score to evaluate my house. I found the way to calculate it online at Fizber site (http://drivescore.fizber.com/ ). I’ve got much better results – 83.
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