How “Walking Audits” Can Improve Neighborhood Mobility

Safe streets advocates have a simple starting point for making change to pedestrian infrastructure in their cities: taking a walk. As Edward Erfurt notes in a piece for Strong Towns, any effort to improve road safety starts with an evaluation of current conditions.

“The Strong Towns Crash Analysis Studio has helped residents of cities across North America review serious crashes in their communities,” Erfurt writes. The analyses brought to light oversights (for example, yield signs installed at four-way intersections rather than stop signs) and improper uses of road infrastructure.

According to Erfurt, “There is nothing more memorable and impactful than experiencing our communities with each other on foot. Something as simple as a walk allows us to have a conversation informed by the existing conditions, as well as letting us illustrate items like the economic benefits of pedestrian-friendly designs to local officials.”

A “walking audit” can offer a new perspective on a community and illuminate infrastructure needs. “In addition to members of the design team and traffic safety officials, a good audit will include a cross section of the municipality’s experts in areas such as engineering, planning, maintenance and law enforcement. It will also include any individual in the area known to have a disability or particular struggle that will be impacted by the design.”