Walkability Checklist

How walkable is your community?

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. 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

U.S. Department

of Transportation
Take a walk and use this checklist to rate your neighborhood's walkability.

How walkable is your community?

Location of walk Rating Scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6

awful many

problems

some

problems

good very good excellent

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		 __________________________

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

	 	 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		 __________________________

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. _____

 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!

_________________ 

________________________________

Now that you've identified the problems, 

go to the next page to find out how to fix them.
Now that you know the problems,

 you can find the answers.

Improving your 

 community's score...

 1. 	Did you have room to walk?

What you and your child 

can do immediately

What you and your community

can do with more time

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?

 	 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

• 	pick another route for now

• 	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

• 	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 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

• 	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 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

• 	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 5. 	Was your walk pleasant?

 	 Needs grass, flowers, trees

Scary dogs

Scary people

Not well lit

Dirty, litter

Lots of traffic

• 	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

• 	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 	 	

	 community (reduced traffic during am 	

	 and pm school commute times)

 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)
Need some guidance? 

 These resources might help...

Great Resources

WALKING INFORMATION

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)

UNC Highway Safety Research Center

730 Airport Road , Suite 300

Campus Box 3430

Chapel Hill, NC 

27599-3430

Phone: (919) 962-2202

www.pedbikeinfo.org

www.walkinginfo.org

National Center for

Safe Routes to School

730 Martin Luther

King, Jr. Blvd., Suite 300

Campus Box 3430

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430

Toll-free 1-866-610-SRTS

www.saferoutesinfo.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

www.tlcnetwork.org

WALKING COALITIONS

America Walks

P.O. Box 29103 

Portland, Oregon 97210 

Phone: (503) 222-1077 

www.americawalks.org 

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

SAFE KIDS Worldwide

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

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