The Atlantic Cities Book Review - Walkable City

The Atlantic Cities has an excellent book review on the book Walkable City by Jeff Speck. Numerous other outlets have also reviewed the book. In short, the 10 pieces of walkability are as follows (quoted from the review):

1. Put cars in their place - design cities around people, not cars.
2. Mix the uses - mixed use development shortens trip lengths, making them feasible.
3. Get the parking right - we often have excessive parking requirements, as well as underpriced parking.
4. Let transit work - have transit go to the busiest areas, and go to the mixed use areas. Aim for 10 minute headways.
5. Protect the pedestrian - have streets (two-way over one way) that favor slower travel. Parallel parking can "shield" pedestrians from automobile traffic.
6. Welcome bikes - bikes can calm traffic, benefitting pedestrians and cyclists themselves.
7. Shape the spaces - make the environment comfortable for walking.
8. Plant trees
9. Make friendly and unique [building] faces - have buildings and storefronts that people want to look at.
10. Pick your winners - with limited resources, it's important to spend such on what makes the greatest differences.

The review's author then goes into some more detail about areas of disagreement such as the pros and cons of pedestrian-only zones, the desirability of green space, and the like. Parking and congestion pricing is tricky, in that newly revitalized downtowns should seek to welcome people coming in and visiting. Regardless, the book promises to be an interesting read.

Knox Walks kickoff September 8

The Knoxville Track Club is sponsoring a fitness walking program starting September 8. They are looking for people to commit to one walk a week for seven weeks, culminating in an entry into the October 28 Crossknox 4 mile walk. Further information is available here.

This and other (hiking) events are listed at the Knoxville News Sentinel's Off the couch: Active options, Sept. 7 and beyond page.

Report - Physical inactivity causes 10% of all worldwide deaths

CNN reports that a report series in The Lancet notes that physical inactivity is just as deadly as smoking or obesity. (Obviously the latter and physical inactivity are also linked.) If inactivity rates drop by 10-20%, then anything between one half to 1.3 million lives can be saved annually worldwide. The authors consider such inactivity to be equivalent to a pandemic.

In the third article of the series, Gregory Heath of the University of Tennessee wrote that "Because even moderate physical activity such as walking and cycling can have substantial health benefits, understanding strategies that can increase these behaviors in different regions and cultures has become a public health priority," and that improvements in mass transit and the walking and cycling environment can produce real benefits. As has been previously mentioned, we have engineered much physical activity out of our lives, but we can reverse the trend. Support for improved cycling and walking infrastructure in our communities have the following beneficial effects.

1. Improved health,
2. Decreased cost - I had mentioned that a car cost $11-$22 per day
3. Improved environment,
4. Decreased congestion,
5. Improved community, with people being more neighborly and social,
6. and Decreased dependence on foreign oil.

And all of these benefits take place at the same time making such investments a wise use of resources, provided that the money allocated for such is spent wisely.

Heat wave with 100+ degree temperatures

The Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting near record-high temperatures Friday across the state. The all-time record temperature was broken in Nashville at 109 (was 107). Chattanooga hit 106, tying its all-time record. Same with the Tri-Cities at 102. Knoxville tied its June record at 102 as well. Oak Ridge broke the June record at 104. The Tour de Rocky Top, taking place today (Saturday June 30) had its century ride (100 miles) cancelled this year due to the heat for safety reasons.

Pedestrian fatality in Oak Ridge, Melton Lake Drive

There was a pedestrian fatality approximately a quarter mile north of Union Valley Rd on Melton Lake Drive in Oak Ridge. The initial statement by the Oak Ridge Police Chief is available here, and a followup report here. The crash took place on March 24, and was reported around 10:30 PM. Melton Lake Drive is a moderate speed road with traffic speeds around 40 mph. The road has fairly good shoulders, and Melton Lake Greenway runs parallel to the entire stretch of road. The road ties into the parks in the area, as well as to Oak Ridge Turnpike and numerous residential areas. An excellent map of the Oak Ridge Greenways (PDF) is available here. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Since the crash probably took place sometime after dark, what are things pedestrians can do to make themselves safer during nighttime?

California Walking School Bus

CNN is reporting that in parts of California children are participating in a "walking school bus." What's a walking school bus? It is a bunch of children walking to school together, carrying a "bus" that picks up other students along "stops" on the way to and from school. The article points to the very real fact that much of today's infrastructure has has physical activity engineered out of it. Combined with the ready availability of cheap calories, it's small wonder that the overweight/obesity rate there has topped 60%. The rate is not too different in Tennessee. The kids walk around half a mile to and from school every day. Calorie-wise, that would be around 100 or a bit fewer burned each and every day. Time spent walking per child is around 20 min. Could schools in Tennessee do something similar? How far or close to children live to their schools? In terms of time requirements, let's not forget that there are substantial traffic jams at schools each morning and afternoon, so depending on the distance, walking can actually be the faster option, not to mention how such can free up time for parents who otherwise might send their children to and from school by car.

Red-light cameras no longer used for non-stopping right-turns

The Farragut Press Enterprise is reporting that red light cameras in town will no longer be used to enforce the requirement that vehicles come to a complete stop at a red light before turning right due to legislation passed by the state legislature. While the so-called rolling stop remains illegal, only actual law enforcement on scene will be allowed to enforce such. The cameras will continue to be used for citing straight through red light running and running red lights on left-turns. Cameras can now enforce right-turn violations only where right-turns on red are explicitly prohibited. Does this looser enforcement of right turns on red increase the dangers facing pedestrians?

Walking/Cycling for weight loss - calories burned

How many calories do people typically burn walking and cycling? How realistic can working these activities into our daily lives help people lose excess weight? I did a quick survey of an online guide to obtain some numbers.

Getting and staying fit with help

(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia: picture may be reproduced and modified provided that this copyright notice is included.) This tip from Realage.com points to the benefits of walking with a dog. Currently, 61% of dog owners walk their dogs regularly. When one has a dog that has to be walked, one gets one's exercise as the dog gets its exercise. Walking the dog is also a great treat for it, and people with dogs tend to become more physically active than those who don't.

Speaking of which, dogs can be walked in a variety of environments. Anywhere from an urban sidewalk to a suburban low-traffic neighborhood make good places to walk for exercise. Greenways are another popular option, although care needs to be taken to ensure that a leash is not too long or too thin. A leash that is too long can make the dog's path of travel unpredictable to passersby, and a leash that is too thin can be hard for other walkers and cyclists to see.

Doris West - RIP

I just learned yesterday about the passing of Doris West up in Ann Arbor, MI at the age of 92 from the Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition. The Doris West Cycling Spirit Award has been set up in her honor for car-free locals up there (link not provided since people in TN aren't eligible.)

I had a chance to ride with her once or twice at their annual fourth of July rides, although I didn't know she had been car-free and rode or walked anywhere and everywhere since 1956 until her death in 2010. More information on her is available here.

Right Turn without stopping

Two bills are now in the TN General Assembly that would allow motorists to turn right at intersections without stopping as the current law requires.  At first thought, passage of these bills would increase the danger to bicyclists and pedestrians for being injured at these intersections.  More bicyclists are injured due to the infamous "right hook" than any other cause.  It appears to me that these bills only make matters worse.  What do you think?

Click here to view the Senate Bill and here to view the House version.

Top 40 Walking Cities in the US - walkscore.com

Previously, there was a post on September 25 on the list of the top 20 walking cities in the US, none of which was located within the state. A list of the top 40 cities is available now at walkscore.com, based on a walk score. Also listed are neighborhoods in each of the cities listed, since the walkability of a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. The cities in the state that made the list are

Knox County Pedestrian struck twice, killed near her home

On Tuesday night, around 10:30 PM, a pedestrian was struck by first one car, and then a second going the opposite direction on Snyder Rd near Catlett Ln near her home. The newspaper reports are available here, with a followup here. Those who live in the area can attest to the strong rainstorms that were in the area that night. A senseless tragedy, no doubt.

Oak Ridge Turnpike - phase I expansion complete

Oak Ridge Turnpike, one of the main thoroughfares through the city of Oak Ridge, has had a 4 mi section widened with 5 ft sidewalks and 6 ft bike lanes on both sides. The phase I widening project extended from Illinois Ave to Westover Drive. More details are available at the Oak Ridger Website. The project cost $26.1 million.

Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial - Tennesseans can walk away from obesity

In an editorial Friday, the Knoxville News Sentinel noted that healthy lifestyles are not inherited, and that Tennessee ranks second in the nation (tied with Alabama) for obesity rates. A new free program by the Knoxville Track Club seeks to get people walking rather than running, meeting every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6:30 PM at Cherokee Blvd. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee is also encouraging school walking programs.

Pedestrian bridge over Alcoa Hwy under construction

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel a bridge connecting greenways on both sides of Alcoa Hwy (US-129) was put into place Sunday. Plans call for the bridge to be opened in early December.

Alcoa Highway is a high-speed road that's notorious for car crashes, and having a way to safety cross it is an improvement. Perhaps more importantly is the fact that neighborhoods will be linked to the Blount County greenway system that were previously separated by the road. For transportation infrastructure to be functional and useful, they have to go to enough places that people want to go; network breaks are highly destructive. Hopefully we have just eliminated one such break in the network.

The best walking cities

This article lists the 20 best walking cities in the USA, according to Prevention magazine. The list of cities is as follows.

Chuck Anderton - Bike/Walk Commuter

There was an article in the August 2, 2010 edition of the Bearden West Side Shopper-News (online edition not available) about Chuck Anderton, who is an electrical engineer at KUB (Knoxville Utilities Board) in downtown Knoxville. He has "walked, run, or biked" to work for the past 42 years, and his last sick day was in 1981. His commute ranged from 1 to 7 miles each way, depending on where he lived. He bikes from April to September, where there is light both ways. The other days he tends to walk, even though it does take a while. Needless to say, he's a very healthy individual.

One of the big draws of urban living is being close to most of the things going on, and of having an easy, short commute. Interestingly, truly urban areas have bikes and cars move at roughly equal speeds which means that facilities such as bike lanes are unneeded in such areas. For instance, Gay St in downtown Knoxville is considered one of the finest places to ride.

Walk Your Way to Nicer Teeth - Realage article

A recent realage article located here suggests that those who are active walking tend to not only have better cardiovascular health, but also better dental health. The cause may be that active walkers have less inflammation, which leads to healthier teeth.

As mentioned previously, walking is an excellent way to travel short distances. It does not require any special equipment, and can be very relaxing. Designing streets so that they are easily walkable would go a long way toward encouraging this most basic form of transport.

West Knox couple transform health with gradual changes

Just saw an article at knoxnews.com that can be found here.


To summarize, this former couch potato couple started to seriously walk and made their diets healthier. They made a point of walking 10,000 steps every day. The husband no longer needed a knee replacement, and was able to get rid of the blood pressure medication, while halving the cholesterol medication.

10,000 steps is around five miles. For most people dedicating an hour and forty minutes (assuming a walking speed of 3 mi/hr) every day to walking isn't practical; however, the 10,000 steps can include ordinary activities, making it much more manageable. A pedometer was suggested as a way to track the number of steps taken.

For short trips, walking is an eminently feasible way to get around, not to mention being relaxing and healthy. The construction of sidewalks around busier streets can greatly encourage this most basic form of transportation.