How walkable is our neighborhood?

With all the recent talk about VMU and sustainable neighborhoods, have you ever really stopped to think how walkable North Shoal Creek is?

The closer you live to Anderson or Burnet the easier it is to get around on foot, and as cozy as our neighborhood is, nothing is really all that far. If I wanted to walk from my house in the northwest corner of our neighborhood to Terra Toys, according to Google it’s only 1.5 miles. So what is it that keeps me from walking there?

For one, Rockwood is lousy for strollers. The sidewalks are only on one side of the road, and even more annoying is that there’s a curb at the edge of every single driveway-- every single one. A baby can’t stay asleep through all of that bumping around. But there are other streets that might work, and I’m often on Briarwood anyway to avoid the traffic.

So, is it the heat? In the summer, oh yes, absolutely. I’m a wimp. I hide from the sun as much as I can. But it’s only now getting hot enough for me to use that excuse. Why haven’t I been walking before now? Is it laziness? Ummm, yeah, okay. There is that.

But I think a lot of it has to do with simple habit. Driving is what I’m used to. We live in Texas. We all drive. Everywhere. My parents drove everywhere. My friends drive everywhere.

I was surprised and a little dismayed to find out that Terra Toys is less than two miles from my house. It makes my driving in a car to get there frankly a little pathetic. I’m fit enough. My boy would love it. I wouldn’t think twice about walking three times as far on a treadmill. In fact I think I’d be a little embarrassed if I only walked 1.5 miles and called it exercise. So why do I falter when it comes to walking in real life?

As Austin and its neighborhoods try to figure out how to manage growth and create a livable community, I have to really examine what that means for me. I love the idea of a walkable lifestyle that goes beyond morning and evening walks around the block. I love the idea of walking for groceries and errands, visits to the parks and the library. I’ve always thought, “If I only lived Hyde Park I’d go everywhere by foot or bike.” Well, this isn’t Hyde Park but 1.5 miles is certainly manageable.

Walking is good for our health, for the environment, for reducing traffic, for taking time to breathe and living life at a slower, simpler pace. It’s useful for meeting and reconnecting with our neighbors. It’s easier to notice and appreciate the things in our neighborhood we like, and to do little things like pick up trash.

I want to end this post with some sort of motivational commitment to start walking, to really walk and forgo the car. But I’m afraid I have to be honest. Summer is here and Texas is hot. And hot stinks. I will walk when I can. I will see you in the mornings and evenings around the block. I’m going to have to postpone serving as the role model that inspires you all to walk until the fall, when (I hope) the weather cools.