> If you have to cross a 40ft+ road with vehicles traveling at 50mph (i.e. 40mph speed limit), I consider that not walkable.
Ok, but that's a quite radical limitation to the definition of walkable. What is the reason to put up self-imposed limitations like that?
I mean, by that definition even most of Manhattan wouldn't be called walkable even thought it's the most walkable city in the US!
In my very suburban neighborhood, I can very easily walk to a 24hr supermarket in about 5-6 minutes, so I often do (except when it's super cold/raining).
Yes, I do have to cross a 4 lane road (two this way, two that way). I press the pedestrian crossing button, wait a handful of seconds and once it's my turn I cross the road with cars traveling at 0mph since they all have a red light.
> In my very suburban neighborhood, I can very easily walk to a 24hr supermarket in about 5-6 minutes, so I often do
some anecdata as a counterpoint to the "everything being super close to you in urban areas" narrative: i live in a pretty damn urban neighourhood ("old" or "core" Hollywood, CA), and it takes me ~15 minutes to walk to the nearest supermarket (just under 1 mile).
historically, there were a number of closer supermarkets but those large buildings & their parking lots tend to be eventually razed and replaced with luxury apartment buildings.
huh, actually i just checked and it looks like there is not a single 24-hour supermarket within any kind of reasonable walking distance of my home (2-3 miles). i am pretty sure the local VONS was 24hr before COVID, i wonder if that is why? now all the local VONS or Ralphs or what have you all close between 11pm and 1am.
> What is the reason to put up self-imposed limitations like that?
Because I have seen how risky it is to cross due to speeding drivers in large vehicles looking at their phones. It is a large distance to cross, and if someone is mobility impaired like an old person or handicapped or child, it can be quite harrowing.
Also, NYC is completely different because the speed cars travel at is actually 25mph. A world of difference in being able to stop or avoid a collision at 50mph.
And this is a best case scenario in many suburbs. I come across 7 to 9 lane wide arterial roads all the time. 3 lanes in each direction, 1 to 2 turn lanes and shoulder. Even as a healthy young guy, I feel intimidated walking across 80ft+ of vehicles that can be traveling at high speeds.
> NYC is completely different because the speed cars travel at is actually 25mph
Unless there's traffic jam, driving speeds in the 4+ lane avenues in Manhattan is certainly higher than 25mph. (Source: used to spend all my weekends in Manhattan so I've done a lot of walking and cycling all over it.)
> Even as a healthy young guy, I feel intimidated walking across 80ft+ of vehicles that can be traveling at high speeds.
You should not be crossing when cars are traveling at any speed other than zero, that's what the pedestrian crossing lights are for.
In any case, you're right in that if you set a personal limitation on what is walkable that excludes nearly every part of the country (including Manhattan), then you won't find any walkable areas.
Personally I don't mind crossing a street (with a red-light protected crossing) so I find suburban areas to very walkable since I can (and do) get to any stores I want within an easy walk.
>You should not be crossing when cars are traveling at any speed other than zero, that's what the pedestrian crossing lights are for.
You would never finish crossing then. Lots of times there are cars traveling in the lanes that are approaching the intersection, and you have no way of knowing if they are paying attention or not to the traffic lights.
At low speeds, you can eyeball them sufficiently decreasing their speed and confirm they are stopping, but at high speeds, it is impossible to tell.
> >You should not be crossing when cars are traveling at any speed other than zero, that's what the pedestrian crossing lights are for.
> You would never finish crossing then.
Well I don't know what to say, it is quite the wild west wherever you live.
Around here (California) and everywhere else I've happened to live, all kinds of people (including the very old with mobility problems) finish crossing safely all day long without any trouble.
And when someone particularly slow is crossing and doesn't get to the other side before the pedestrian light goes red, cars just wait. Nobody's going to run them over just because the light changed.
Ok, but that's a quite radical limitation to the definition of walkable. What is the reason to put up self-imposed limitations like that?
I mean, by that definition even most of Manhattan wouldn't be called walkable even thought it's the most walkable city in the US!
In my very suburban neighborhood, I can very easily walk to a 24hr supermarket in about 5-6 minutes, so I often do (except when it's super cold/raining).
Yes, I do have to cross a 4 lane road (two this way, two that way). I press the pedestrian crossing button, wait a handful of seconds and once it's my turn I cross the road with cars traveling at 0mph since they all have a red light.