13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Indy ranks low in 'walkability' among major cities

Indy ranks low in 'walkability' among major cities

Mary Milz/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - A web site that gages the walkability of the top 40 U.S. cities puts Indianapolis near the bottom of the list.

Walkscore.com ranks Indy 37th, just above Charlotte, Nashville and Jacksonville. At the top of the list is San Francisco, New York and Boston.  Walkscore's web site says the cities at the top "have density, mixed use, transit, short blocks...and lots of destinations near each address."

Leroy Munger has lived near Kessler and Grandview for 25 years. 

"I think it's a fine place to walk in terms of peacefulness," he said of his neighborhood.

But the streets are narrow and there are no sidewalks. Munger had to scoot to the side and walk along the grass as several vehicles passed, included a semi.

"There's no chance if it's a pedestrian with a tri-axle," he said.

Walkscore ranks his neighborhood 29 out of 100 for walkability. As a map of area shows, most amenities are more than a mile away.

"You can walk but there's no business you can walk to conveniently," Munger said.

Soloman Park is three-quarters of a mile away. There are no sidewalks and a narrow shoulder that drops off into a shallow ditch. The nearest is a mile and a half down the road.

Walkscore calls Leroy's neighborhood "car dependent."

"I've often said if you have no car and you have business to do, even shopping, you're in trouble and I think that goes for the city as a whole," Munger said.

Lori Miser, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, said the city has made strides, despite the ranking.

"We do have room to grow," she laughed. "But it's great to be on the list."

Miser said the MPO is working to Indy more pedestrian-friendly.

"It's such an important quality of life thing," she said. "It's important for health and image."

Miser said the Cultural Trail and the new bike lanes going in along New York and Michigan streets are steps in the right direction. She also pointed to a new ordinance requiring sidewalks in all new developments.

Within the city, certain areas do score high, particularly downtown.

Walkscore describes the intersection of New York and Alabama as a walkers paradise. It scored a 97. Amenities dot the nearby landscape - a grocery store, bank, cleaners and hardware store are just a block or so away. The same for bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores.
  
Kelsey Vance, who lives downtown said, "This area is one of the better ones."

But even though it's a walker paradise, Vance said it can be walk at your own risk.

"Walking here is horrible," she said. "I lived abroad in Spain and you could walk all over there, but here you can barely get across the street without fearing for your life."

Miser said while Indy had a ways to go, she was confident would move up on the list.  Next week, workers will break ground on the next phase of the Cultural Trail which will connect it to the Monon Trail at 10th.

Also planned are bike lanes along Allisonville Road from Binford to 82nd. 

Walkscore.com - See how your neighborhood ranks in walkability.