To walk or not to walk (Part 3)

Okay so it’s been four months since Part 2 of this article.  Blame that on the weather, or more specifically, the series of disasters which struck us and the resulting series of carbon footprint write-ups we've made to discuss the relationship between climate change and the abnormal twists in weather conditions which produced Yolanda.  Even until now, we're experiencing strange new unusual temperatures, pleasant ones since we've always complained about the heat, but ominous just the same, for the implications it mean on future climactic disruptions.

But it's all connected just the same.  We've pointed out that transport is one of the main causes of excessive carbon dioxide emissions to our atmosphere.  And we get these primarily because of our ever-increasing use of motor vehicles.   Coupled by the declining dependence on walking.  In fact, if we were to assess our daily routines, we'd be surprised how little we walk these days, both in terms of distance and time spent.  And it's all because we're all in a rush.  Much more so in cities, where studies show, people walk much faster than in non-urban areas.  But that's another interesting article to write about.

The truth of the matter is, I think we forgot about walking, and how nice it is to “take a walk.”  Maybe it's because people are just too in a hurry to make more money, or even just to make enough to live by, that we always try to save time by hurrying from one place to another.  That's not bad, we have to make a living in order to take good care of our families, but oftentimes, we disregard alternatives.  Walking is one better alternative to racing from one place to another using gas-fuelled cars which pollute our atmosphere.  And in cities where congestion is so severe, walking may even be faster than your car idling on the road.

As what we have started in the first two instalments to this, the disinterest in walking is actually something behavioral and comes without thinking.  People do walk, but the distance to which people are willing to talk depends on a lot of parameters, and differs from country to country and even from city to city.  It also differs depending on the purpose of the walk.  Of course, when it is just walking for the sake of walking, for the sheer enjoyment of it, the distance is what you want it to be.  But people are willing to walk longer distances when going to the next train or bus station, than if it's just buying bread or “balut” at the corner.

The more important factor which seems to affect people's willingness to walk is the ease or difficulty of walking itself.  Americans usually set 400 meters or 1/4 mile as the maximum standard distance for walking, beyond which they'll think about driving.  It's a bit further in Europe, but studies say that in Rome, people will walk for much longer distances without complaining.  Maybe in Paris, too.  Actually, usually, I don't mind walking more than a kilometer to my hotel in Ortigas, except when it's raining or at noon in summer.  Walkability is the biggest factor in people's willingness to walk.  And it can be improved!

The fact of the matter is, most of our cities are not walkable, and I suspect it's mainly because city governments usually do not plan for cities to be walkable.  There are grandiose plans of new roads and streets, widening of existing ones, all too often to accommodate the increasing number of cars on the road.  Oftentimes, the sidewalks come as an afterthought, and only if there are extra space left.  And because it seems popular, city officials oftentimes place sidewalks even in roads where these are not needed at all.  Worse, sidewalks are built and then left forgotten for the next twenty years, getting dilapidated, and well, unwalkable.

It just needs a little extra effort, actually.  What we need is a clear unobstructed walkway, preferably comfortable and convenient to walk on.  More often than not, there are electric posts, trees, water pipes, vendors, newsstands, or other solid obstructions which impede a nice walk.  Then there are roadside landowners or stores that often encroach on sidewalks and make their own personal extensions.  But the worst of all are the cars and motorcycles parked on the sidewalks claiming these spaces from pedestrians, believing that car parking is a Constitutional right!

As I said, this is not difficult.  But it needs the commitment of city governments all over the country to make walking (preferably enjoyable) a good part of urban transportation.  Not only will it help solve the congestion problem, it makes for a healthier citizenry, and promoted a more environmentally-sustainable transport as well.