Many Topeka neighborhoods are car dependent
9:37 p.m. Friday, July 18, 2008
Sidewalks stay empty in the Capital City.
"Not a walking community by any means, not Topeka," Vern McFalls said.
And the Web site Walkscore agrees.
We plugged in the addresses of six different neighborhoods around Topeka and it was the same story, car dependent, meaning most people don't live close enough to shopping, restaurants, or entertainment to get there on foot.
"My neighborhood isn't very close to a lot of shopping," Susan Sester said.
"This here is the closest and it's about a mile and a half," Dale Johnson said.
The Web site says the Westboro neighborhood is somewhat walkable, so we went to test it out.
I'm down here at the corner of Huntoon and Frazier and I've got my stop watch and we're going to see how walkable this neighborhood really is. I've only been walking for about four minutes and I'm already some place I can grab a bite to eat, go to the bank or even go bowling. But how far is the nearest grocery store or pharmacy? It took me about twelve minutes to get here to Fleming Place where there is a Dillons and a Walgreens. That's 24 minutes round trip and that's a pretty long trek if you're getting more than just a few things.
But would people leave the cars in the driveway and hoof it to the store?
"Oh absolutely...absolutely," Brandon Myers said.
"I would I love to walk...can't walk to, far. It does matter, especially if you're getting groceries," Keith McClain said.
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