Walkability/pedestrian safety checklist

This checklist, developed by LA Walks, can help you gather information about walkability in your neighborhood and identify places where walking is unpleasant, difficult, or dangerous for pedestrians.

To contact people who can help solve problems that you discover, go to our contacts page.

How should you use this checklist?

1. Pick an area in your community where people walk or would like to walk.

2. Walk through the area with a small group of people (3-5 is the best group size).

3. Carry a clipboard and paper for noting conditions and locations. If possible, make notes directly on a map of the area. Note the location, condition (using the codes from the checklist), and any additional information that will explain the condition. For example: "1c - San Ildefonso opposite Alamo Rd. - sidewalk damaged by construction crew".

4. Don't hesitate to note problems, even if they don't fit the categories we've suggested. (If you find conditions in your neighborhood that we haven't anticipated in the checklist, please send us a message).

5. Note any suggested solutions, such as added sidewalks, crosswalks, etc.

6. After finishing your survey, try to prioritize and group the information. Your best chance of being heard by those who can solve problems is to present well organized information that describes the problems clearly and proposes reasonable solutions.

7. Keep in mind the needs of children, the elderly, and the disabled. They may need accommodations that would not be obvious to the average walker.

(If you've never done this before, you might first want to become familiar with some terminology related to pedestrian design features.)

Here is the checklist:

To indicate problems, use codes like "1c" for item c under number 1.

Notice that the checklist items include links. If you click on a link, you'll be taken to a page that explains more about that particular item, including images showing good versus bad features.

1. Path Surface

   1. No sidewalk

   2. Sidewalk is not continuous

   3. Sidewalk too steep

   4. Sidewalk cracked or lifted

2. Path Width/Clearance

   1. Inadequate sidewalk width

   2. Travel path obstructed

   3. Inadequate horizontal or vertical clearance

3. Vehicular impacts on pedestrian pathway

   1. Inadequate buffering from vehicular traffic

   2. No ramp at driveway cut

   3. Slope of driveway apron located in sidewalk

   4. Width of driveway excessive

4. Pedestrian access at road crossings

   1. No curb ramp at intersection or mid-block crossing

   2. Single ramp used for two crossing directions

   3. Curb ramp of substandard design or construction

5. Pedestrian safety at road crossings

   1. Crossing inadequately marked, signed or maintained

   2. Traffic speed/volume make crossing difficult

   3. Wide crossing due to over-generous corner turning radius

6. Motorist behavior

   1. Drivers exceed speed limit

   2. Drivers do not yield for pedestrians in crosswalk or crossing

7. Miscellaneous

   1. Walkway not well lighted.

   2. Dogs loose or other animal problems

   3. Litter or trash on or around walkway

   4. Any other problem you notice

Click on the link to view a printable copy of the checklist in Adobe portable document format (PDF). You may also save the document to your computer for later viewing and printing by right clicking and selecting the menu item that says "Save target as" or "Save link as". (Viewing or printing the PDF requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click on the icon to download the reader if you don't have it installed.)