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Notes on Walkability from a Walker
By Jennifer Eberbach
I'm a walker, most of the time. Extra chilly Michigan winter days, running behind, long distances - all of these things push me back behind the wheel. I don't walk everywhere, but I prefer to huff it out on foot, whenever possible. A healthy 30-minute trek across downtown Ann Arbor on a Saturday from my old west side neighborhood doesn't faze me in the least. Before I know it, I'm smack dab in the middle of Ann Arbor's business district and cultural center - in about 12 minutes.
Walkability is about easy access to your daily destinations. It contributes to a green lifestyle, keeps you in shape, and saves gas money. However, for me, being able to walk downtown is more about the enjoyment I get from literally taking time to smell the roses planted in my neighbors' gardens, watch the landscape change from residences to urbanity, find hidden spots off the beaten path, and connect with my environment.
Sitting down to write out my thoughts on walkability, I am realizing how much I take it for granted sometimes. Ann Arbor is generally a walkable town. I also live in one of the city's more walkable neighborhoods - you never run out of sidewalk, there are frequent, safe cross-walks, and there is plenty to see along the way. In many ways, my neighborhood has the qualities that proponents of growing walkable urbanism in Michigan's cities, large and small, are championing.
However, I'm also realizing that even an avid walker, green-minded, fresh-air loving enthusiast like me doesn't walk everywhere I could be walking. I usually hear and read about ideas for urban walkability that focus on creating walkable infrastructure and promoting alternative transportation in downtown areas. I think this is great. Efficiently transporting people into business and cultural centers encourages economic development and the creation of an attractive downtown, in general.
I just wonder, what if there was a trolley that picked me up on the old west side and took me to a new, happening area out Packard? What if that booming spot happened because the trolley made it easier for people to get to businesses in that area after a meal downtown, or a play at the Michigan Theater? What if there was more outside dining, pedestrian traffic, and green space on Stadium Blvd? Would I start walking to get a donut at Dimo's on Sunday, instead of driving like I do now - not intimidated by the heavy auto traffic and the sparser pedestrian traffic? I see people walking and biking down both of these streets; however, it drops off significantly once you leave the center of town.
Does urban walkability only have to be about getting people downtown? How about promoting businesses and cultural development in some of the other pockets that have potential? The term urban walkability also doesn't mean that rural areas and less populated towns can't apply strategies that increase walkability on a smaller scale.
Ann Arbor and other cities in the area are kicking around solutions for improving alternative transportation on a local and regional scale. The proposed plan to connect Washtenaw and Livingston Counties with a commuter rail, called WALLY, is on its way to becoming a reality. The new line aims to lessen traffic congestion of I-23, spark economic development along the line, and benefit the environment by moving away from foreign oil. Although WALLY's capital costs will probably be $32 million, alternatives can be much more expense. Adding a third lane to US 23 is projected at $500 million big ones, it wouldn't be a green solution, and it just encourages more auto sprawl in Michigan.
Everywhere I have lived in Ann Arbor has been centrally located in a walkable area - whether the U of Michigan campus, when I was a student, or downtown apartments I've inhabited as a young professional. If I really think about it, being located in a walkable area is probably number two on my list of considerations for where to live and set up shop - after cost, but before square footage and amenities like having a dishwasher. Even though I don't walk every single time I leave my doorstep, it's nice to have the option - and get some fresh air more than once in a while.
Photos provided by ifmuth via a Flickr Creative Commons License
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