Is Philly Really the Most Walkable City?

Hey, y'all, we're spending today to plan some great things for CityCast Philly. So instead of our normal Friday News Roundup with me and Matt, we're bringing back one of our favorite shows from this past year. This year for the fourth year in a row, Philly's been crowned the nation's most walkable city. Really? For some of us living here walking to work or even the grocery store isn't an option. So we're listening back to our conversation with me, senior producer Abby Fritz, and newsletter editor Siani Colon. It's Friday, July 31st. I'm Trinanehry, and here's what Philly's talking about. Are we serious? I don't know. I don't think Philly is walkable, and I'm going to be straight up with you because... Philly keeps receiving these high ranks for walkability, and it just doesn't make sense to me because... By what metrics, right? And then like, and it feels like they see Philadelphia as this one section. And that's going to include center city, stretching river to river, parts of south, not too far, though, and very specific parts of West Philly. And that type of stuff just makes my blood boil. Yeah, I wouldn't write it off as completely unwalkable, but I do agree it depends where you are in the city. Like, I've done a walk from 40th and market, so we're talking to University City all the way to 5th and South. And it took a while, but it was a nice walk. I enjoyed it. But, you know, you had infrastructure like a bridge, and the streets were... pretty straightforward to navigate. So a walk like that across neighborhoods, across rivers, that would be less of a hassle than safe. I'm walking around northeast Philly, especially if you're trying to cross the boulevard or areas where a sidewalk is just non-existent. True. Yeah, for sure. I feel you both. I think like when I used to live in South, I could get to the Gaborhood in like 45 minutes. And if the weather is nice out, I could walk there, which is awesome. But would I try to go see my friends in West walking there? No. You know, like I think it's so neighborhood based like you guys are talking about. And like that's kind of why. I was really interested in, like, the metrics of these lists and these, like, websites that were claiming that were a walkable city. But specifically for most walkable cities for tourists in the U.S., which I think is an important distinction. We've also made it to lists in Thrillist, Condayness Traveler, business websites like Homes.com. All of them are saying Philly is walkable, but what does that mean? And how are they?

how are they determining that there's a couple features that seem to be like across the board that these websites will use to judge that. So they look for things like street length and like the density of streets. Also like how the space is being used. So like. Is it all residential or are there businesses and companies and like other things? And then also like the design of the streets. So is the speed of traffic really fast or is it slower? Is there like physical barriers between pedestrians and cars? So like either a bike lane or parking lanes. All of those things go into how these sites are deciding whether or not. a place is walkable. So the conversation really does change neighborhood to neighborhood when you put it like that. Because I know for me, I spend a lot more times in other neighborhoods outside of my own. because there isn't a lot of things to do. You know, it's very, one side is very residential, and then a lot of the other land use is industrial, and there's not really a lot in between. Like, the bowling alley has long closed. There aren't really much sit-down cafes. You have some restaurants, but a lot more like takeout type of situation. And it's like aside from the park and church, there really isn't a lot. You know, that's like for me, so I have to go further out. And even with parks, that depends neighborhood to neighborhood, right? Like, even if you have a park within walking distance to you, we know not all of them get the same amount of resources. Philly is an old city, and there are parts of the city that were designed in colonial times. So obviously, they're not thinking about cars. Old city was not thinking about cars. city blocks are smaller in these areas. They're like 400 to 500 feet, which seems to be the sweet spot for how long a block should be to be easier for people to walk on. And then like when you look in like you were St. Siani, like the northeast or the northwest, like blocks will get a lot longer when you go into industrial areas or when you're in places that are just more car oriented. You also mentioned how Philly was designed in that colonial time. And I want to point out that it wasn't until 1854 when the city charter included more areas like Port Richmond, Kensington, Germantown. And life was just a lot different back then. People stayed in their neighborhoods. And neighborhoods were segregated. You know, you weren't going to certain neighborhoods because you were not welcomed. There wasn't much of that, oh, let's try this restaurant in Bella Vista. And we live in Mantua. No, that was not happening.

I know there's some people who really stick to the bubble of their own neighborhood. I saw an article asking if it's a red flag, if your boyfriend does not want to leave his neighborhood. Because they just stay to the same old blogs. I've mentioned places to friends. They may live in North Philly. I mentioned a place in South that I like to visit. And they have... no idea what I'm talking about because they, again, they stick to their bubble. And maybe that's because everything they need is accessible to them and kind of fitting and what we've kind of defined as walkable. If you have all these businesses and groceries within distance to you, maybe that works for them. Or maybe it's just because these other neighborhoods. weren't accessible to them and not really considered walkable. So that's why they're just kind of stuck within the same couple of blocks. I agree with you, Siani. And there are Philadelphians still living in our city who remember Philly of the yesteryear. And they're like, oh, no, we never went to, for example, Fishtown because we were not allowed in Fishtown. And so. There are folks that don't leave their neighborhood. They might have a designated day where they do their grocery shopping. They come home. They go to work. They come home. I think for me, how I feel about this is that... When it comes to maybe like newer Philadelphians, younger adults, folks who live in the burbs and kind of want that, you know, want to experience the city life for a few hours or people who are here for conferences or just general tourists. They aren't walking in our neighborhood neighborhoods. They are walking and experiencing Philly and Old City downtown. Maybe the most walking they might do into a different section might be along the parkway to visit Rocky. But for those of us... living in Philly, having our children get on a step-the-bus, travel to another side of town just to go to school, we may not be walking the same. Yeah. And I will say, I think that's why I like initiatives, like walk around Philadelphia. Have you guys heard of that? I haven't. So its whole purpose is really to connect neighbors beyond the city center. So, you know, like we mentioned earlier when we're thinking about Center City, Old City, University City, and look at the city at its edges, which is not easy. How this is set up, you're walking the city's entire perimeter.

You're doing it in part so because that is not physically possible for you to walk the entirety of Philly's shape in one day. But they split it up. There was a recent walk that started in Torsdale, and you were kind of like walking along the edge at a Delaware River, not side of the perimeter. And that was a 10-hour walk. I did not go on that walk. Good luck to you guys who did that. But I think projects like that really test how we're defining walkability in the city because I know for sure, especially if they were starting in northeast, there were sections that have to not at all be easy to walk. But you do get a chance to see the different history and how infrastructure changes as you continue to go along these different parts of the city. So I think... You know, we need to challenge ourselves a little bit more in going beyond the city. But the city also needs to challenge itself in better investment to help people actually get around and do this. You know what? We also have a newsletter segment on some free walking groups here in the city. It's a great way to get outside, get your body moving, and also meet new neighbors too. Mm-hmm. You know, as we keep talking about walkability, we can't just think about physically walking, but just how are we getting place to place without a car, you know? Absolutely. Public transit is a key player and helping us in that in between. Yeah, and I'm actually hopeful for the efforts by SEPTA to improve the bus system. We spoke a few weeks ago about how I was able to catch one of those community meetings that they had. And it seems like from what I heard, from in the presentation, bus is going to be more frequent. They are improving some of the... the routes that there was low ridership. So that means maybe there's resources going to be sent to places with higher volume areas. And I'm actually, now, when it comes to, you know, how far do you live near a bus stop or how far do you live near a regional rail stop or a subway line? That I can answer a little bit better because I... actually been able to have bus stops like right in front of my door sometimes or maybe like a three to five minute walk to the broad street line. So I've been actually lucky in that area when it comes to public transportation or having at least one bus, if not like multiple public transportation routes available to me where I live. Yeah, for sure. I feel like. I use the buses so much more than I, like, use, like, the NFL or the BSL lines. And, like, thank goodness for buses. I lived right off the 20. And now I have a bunch of buses around my new neighborhood. Like, I'm very thankful for SEPTA in that regard.

It's like, stuff is not perfect, but it's definitely one of our biggest assets in this conversation. You know, as a non-driver, I have no choice. I have to rely on it. Yeah. And figure out from my stop, okay, I get off here, how many minutes of a walk is it going to take for me to get to my destination? And... I've taken some far-flung routes. I've taken, and you know, this is the same path, the bus, the L, and the trolley with a few minutes of walking right afterwards to get to a friend's house and the other side of the city. So, you know, to that friend. You're a dedicated fun right there. And that was the first one who made it. week. I was the first one on time to that event, mind you. Oh, my God. So, you know, it takes some added effort for sure, but it's not impossible. But with the changes to... The new bus network, it'll take some getting used to, you know, with some stops being spread a bit further out, some routes being eliminated completely and being reworked into different ones. So there's going to be some convenient changes for some riders, maybe more inconvenient for others. So I think that's why it's really important to stay in this conversation. SEPTA continues to have some open houses about these changes so you know how your roots being impacted. All right, well, let me throw this question in for you because you made me think of this, Danny, from that story you just told, how far would you travel for a date? Okay, like, hear me out. Hear me out. If you live in, like, let's say, Aramingo, right? Would you date someone who lived in Point Breeze? If you lived in Germantown, would you date someone in Mayfair? When I was living in South Feli, I was dating someone in Olany for a little while. And it was rough. Not this long distance. Because you didn't have a car or the bus system. It's just like the parking. Am I going to go and come back? Do I want to? Like, you know what I mean? Like, am I going to just take the BSL? And then it's like, it's a whole thing. Like, dating, I think definitely is a different layer of like. commitment in terms of travel. And then, like, for a while, my partner, my partner was living in Plymouth meeting with their parents for a period of time when I lived in South Philly. So that's like not even in Philadelphia. Ooh, that's, yeah. You're crossing county lines at that point. No, exactly. So it's like I love, love right there. Yeah. Okay, well, let me ask you this then. Have you dated someone in Philly in the same neighborhood as you? No. Because what happens if you break up? What happens if you break up? You're going to see them forever. You're going to see them in aisle three at the Acme. Like, it's crazy. I feel like that's a problem with so many of my friends in West Philly. Like, if y'all live in the Clark Park area, you are running into so many exits around there.

Like literally. Oh, man. That's funny. That's funny. All right. We're going to continue this conversation on how to make walking a little bit better in the city and really also how to make our streets safer. That's after the break. When I think about if walking in Philly is safe, I think about Where I see street calming efforts, for example, I love seeing and using the crosswalks that have those flashing lights. in Mannyunk and in Roxborough and a few places in Chestnut Hill when I'm walking around trying to go to the restaurants, coffee shops, or my nail salon, these methods feel like they could be added to more neighborhoods where people are walking along business corridors. So that is something I would love to see more in the city. I mean, even just more crosswalks in general would be nice. You know, we just talked about, you know, buses and one of my stops on one side is accessible, but the other side you have to cross the street. And there is really no real... crosswalk there. People are just kind of playing Frogger, hoping that they can safely get across. Not Frogger. It's so bad because, you know, you still have to walk a couple of blocks to get to one that actually has a crosswalk to get to the other side. And especially crossing at night, getting off the bus, it's just so scary. And you're constantly taking a risk with your life every time you're just trying to cross the street to get to the other bus stop. So having more crosswalk. and lighting would be great. But also enforcement on the crosswalks that exist. So many times I see cars parked on the corners and, you know, blocking crosswalks and ramps for wheelchair users and strollers. And they're also, like, parked in blind spots that put pedestrians and other drivers at risk. So it's the parking situation all around is terrible. Yeah, and I mean, Philly is like not the safest place for pedestrians. I read an inquire article that says Philadelphians are twice as likely to be killed by a vehicle as San Franciscans and nearly three times as likely to be killed as New Yorkers. Even L.A. is safer for pedestrians, which like, how? Literally, that's what I was thinking. But I do think like the city is very aware of this and is actively like working to combat it. We have Vision Zero, which is like this initiative, this goal to have zero traffic deaths in the city. And I was poking around on their website and looking at their last report. And it's.

Crazy to me that 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries happen on just 12% of our streets. So there are very specific streets that we know of that are the most dangerous in the city. And they have a whole map on the website. It's they call it like the high injury network. So this is where car accidents and pedestrians are being hurt. And actually like one of like the major roadways is. the entirety of Broad Street is very dangerous. And they've tried to kind of quell that roadway with a speed limit. And I heard like conversations online about how people were pissed at the city for doing that. But council member Isaiah Thomas pointed out that it's not Philly that determines the speed limit. It's actually PennDOT because it's a state road. The initiative is working, though. Can speak from experience. My dad had picked me up from a concert, and we were driving back on Broad Street. And then, lo of behold, a couple weeks later, gets that $100 ticket in the mail. He is single-handedly funding the city every time I see a ticket in the mail. It actually goes to the state, not the city. I mean, honestly, as a driver, it is a little frustrating when I can't. Put my foot down on the pedal. It seems like we only have data through 2024, but traffic deaths are getting better. And hopefully, like, all these initiatives, like the speed limit and all this stuff will continue to make streets safer for pedestrians and for people. I also think, too, though, like, just because you have a sidewalk and you have somewhere for people to walk, it doesn't necessarily mean that... It's accessible? Like, does, like, someone who uses a wheelchair or walker or baby strollers? Is the sidewalk clear? Are there cracks in it? Is there any construction work? Trash. Like, all of these things also impact the walkability of a neighborhood. Yeah, I love that. kind of point of maybe like the quality of our sidewalks. Because I think it varies. There's parts of Mount Airy. There are no sidewalks. And yet there are parts of the city where there's construction. So you, it's not the best even for cyclists. It's not the best for pedestrian and walking. And also like, I think about. the neighborhoods that have trees. Sometimes the tree roots are so thick that it kind of lifts the sidewalk. So that could also add to some challenges when it comes to walkability if you are reliant on like smooth surfaces. the city's backlog for tree work, which is meant to fix stuff like this, like when trees are impacting the sidewalk and trimming them and like things like that. The list is so long and the department and the team is not big enough that they cannot keep up with these requests and they say they are likely never going to be caught up with them. Which is like it's it's hard too because it's like.

Trees also can be a great accessibility note for a sidewalk because it makes it shadier. It cools down our neighborhoods. It makes people more, like, want to walk more. But if it's messing up the sidewalk, then not everybody can walk on the sidewalks now. So it's like, oh, I will say from my experience as a tree tender, the trees that you're selecting now, we tell. neighbors that are interested that um really choosing one set the roots aren't going to go as deep i think we see this issue happening especially with a lot of the older trees that some of them older than these neighborhoods that now we're kind of seeing that impact with all like the trees lifting. So hopefully neighborhoods that are getting some new trees won't have this issue because we have areas like Hunting Park that are considered heat islands and walking around is just absolutely unbearable. Yeah. Okay, so we kind of touched a little bit on solutions, but anything else we could add to maybe making the city feel more walkable. I mean, I think there's some like temporary activations that I've been seeing that that has seemed to be work and like making more pedestrian-friendly areas of the city. So like open streets, that happens. That's put on by Center City District. They temporarily close down a street to any vehicle traffic and it leaves it open for people to come and hang out. And people seem to love it. I actually got to experience that in the fall. It was during a Sunday when the Eagles were playing. And we won that game. So it just made it even more festive. Heck, yeah. And the report they put out says, like, not only does do people, like, come to these events, it also increases business for the shops and restaurants around. And, like, there are parts of the city that that's been a real struggle, especially after COVID. So, like, I think this could be a great temporary solution to, like, bring people back into neighborhoods. I think they're also, I think over the years they've kind of experimented on certain parts of North Broad Street as well with open streets. And again, I think it's been, I think there are maybe some mixed reviews or maybe folks need to just kind of see it more happening in their neighborhood to kind of feel like, okay, I see the benefits of this. I think having those, you know, temporary opportunities to just, like, close the streets off and just bring people together is really, it's a really great opportunity. I think in, like, East Pass, Young, and they regularly have events on the avenue. Some completely closed the streets, others not. There was just a jazz crawl at the beginning of April.

but the streets weren't fully shut down like some of their other festivals. So I was seeing some videos going around where, you know, you see a large turnout, which is great for the event, but you have all these pedestrians and cars struggling to get by each other. And that is an example of a program that could have benefited from maybe like closing the streets off or even like that avenue itself needs to be pedestrianized more in general. There's also some permanent additions that are going to be great for the city as well, like the Chinatown Stitch Project. I know there's been some back and forth on where the money's going to come from and when it's going to happen and all that. But it does seem like as of right now, it's moving forward. And the plan is to cover the expressway, which would reconnect both sides of Chinatown after it was split by the expressway. it also would make the area more walkable because once it's capped, you can have parks and you can have businesses and you can have things over it. So then people like, you know, big expressways and like underpasses and overpasses of highways. Just don't, even if they are technically walkable, people don't feel like they're walkable. So being able to have activations on top of it or like putting up more art and making it more engaging to the community could definitely make areas like this easier for pedestrians to enjoy. Yeah, Abby, I actually would, I'm looking forward to city design to both include. pedestrian safety, and also create a green space for residents. I also think that to make Philly more walkable and less relying on cars, that would mean actual investment in business corridors along sort of the main, and I'm using quotes, the main streets of our neighborhoods where we see a lot of, like, coffee shops and restaurants. If we could kind of get back to maybe the days of like having a hardware store or having more record shops along the business corridor or more places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables along the business corridor, yeah, I would totally just walk there. And yet. I do see that there's over the years there's been investments in like strip mall areas. So I'm thinking about like the Aramingo Avenue neighborhood where you kind of still need to drive. And if you do walk around there, you want to try like the restaurants and businesses that they've put in that section of town. you're met with cars and drivers that are coming off of 95 and are, you know, now having us to settle themselves after going, what, 60, 70 miles per hour, and now they have to settle themselves back to 25 miles per hour. So.

I see that investments are being made in our neighborhoods, but the question is, are there enough bus routes? Are there enough ways for people to actually get there without cars? And if not, maybe we need to kind of help community members and our neighbors open up businesses along the main streets of our neighborhoods. And to your point about SUPDA and having... bus routes that can actually get to these corridors, you know, you have to take it beyond the city level and take it to the state level as well, right? Because some of these infrastructure investments that we need, at least in the case for public transit. that is coming from a state level, which we've seen is not very keen on funding SEPTA. So really applying the pressure in Harrisburg to really invest in Philadelphia a lot more, especially when our tax dollars are involved. Ciani, Abby, thank you so much for this conversation. Thanks so much, Trinay. All right. Let's get outside and walk around.

That's all for this week on CityCast, Philly. Our executive producer is Matt Katz. Our senior producer is Abby Fritz. Our producers this week are Alyssa Castles, Matilde Eufanino. Our newsletter editors are Siani Colon, Francisco Kilgore, Adrian Gonzalez, and Lizzie Goldsmith. And our host is me, Trinanore. Music is by Philly's own, Interminable, with additional music from All the Camonos. If you enjoyed the show, share this with a friend. Also, rate the show. Leave us a review and subscribe to our morning newsletter. We'll be back Monday morning with more news from around the city. Have a great weekend and be safe, y'all. Bye.