November 18, 2013 · Exit133

How Walkable is Tacoma?

Walkscore has released its 2014 list of most walkable cities and neighborhoods in the US. Sadly, Tacoma didn't make it into the top 10, but it's not all bad news.

Tacoma overall earned a "somewhat walkable" score of 51, significantly below New York's top score of 88, but definitely above the average of 36 for all of the nearly 3,000 cities studied.

Some specific neighborhoods in Tacoma did better; the New Tacoma area, for example, rated a "very walkable" 79.

The score rates the ease with which residents can walk to nearby amenities including food, entertainment, shopping, schools, parks, bike lanes and public transit. Our house hits the chart at 82 (we think access to the Parkway may give us bonus points...).

So, who's ready to run some errands on foot today?

Check out your address at Walkscore.com.

Filed under: Transportation, Walkable Tacoma, Neighborhoods

9 comments

Chris November 18, 2013

I want people to be aware that Walkscore hasn't included any of our transit data in their calculations, so that may have adversely impacted our ranking. I think that Pierce Transit has gotten Google itself to include our transit data, but it is not hosted on the 'GTFS data exchange':http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com which is where Walkscore pulls data from.
Michael November 18, 2013

Apparently "walkscore" doesn't include "how safe" one can expect to feel either. I wouldn't walk a half mile in Tacoma and expect to not get harassed... After dark forget about it. Tacoma is full of trouble...
- talus November 18, 2013
  
  Maybe you should test your expectations. I walk around my Tacoma neighborhood after dark all the time sans "harassment." Perhaps you're cuter than I am?
  - Jordan November 21, 2013
    
    Agreed. I've walked to bars/restaurants on 6th Ave, to my office downtown from the North End, and from my home off 6th Ave to Proctor. Never have I been harassed, whether its during the day or at night.
MaryB November 18, 2013

I walk or run all over Tacoma. Construction has made New Tacoma less walkable than normal because of all the detours. ... My house scores a 77. I thought it might be higher because I also have easy access to The Parkway!
thackerspeed November 19, 2013

Local streets were even less walkable prior to the news of the extinction of the Tacoma Pocket Gopher. Tripping on gopher mounds is no joke. Likewise, getting nipped on the heels is downright annoying.
Andre November 20, 2013

My city made the top ten for the first time this year! But Baltimore is almost guaranteed to be walkable because most of the central city was built before 1900. Most of Tacoma was built during the automobile age, and its relatively low density make walking less than practical in all but a few neighborhoods.
- Andre November 20, 2013
  
  [quote]My city made the top ten for the first time this year! But Baltimore is almost guaranteed to be walkable because most of the central city was built before 1900. Most of Tacoma was built during the automobile age, and its relatively low density make walking less than practical in all but a few neighborhoods.[/quote] Just for comparison's sake, New Tacoma would be the 71st most walkable neighborhood if it were located in Baltimore. I loved all my years living in Tacoma, but being able to walk, bike or take a train to just about everywhere made leaving Tacoma totally worth it.
  - thackerspeed November 22, 2013
    
    As I understand Baltimore, nationally it does rank above average for its violent crime rate. Personally I see that as a reason to run from the city, not to it. But beyond that, whether we discuss before or after 1900, bicycles, automobiles, planes, boats, and trains are not obstacles to walking--they don't block one's free will. In the least, one could say that restricted access to shoes might be an obstacle, but I've walked barefoot in Tacoma, and never been blocked or confronted by any type of coercion.