Walking rocks!

It is the best stress buster going

and free and easy to do!
I love it. Power walk 40 min a day outside...rain,
snow, or sleet..never miss it.
Walking is a very important part of my life.
Walking helps me gather my thoughts before a big
meeting or presentation.
My parents encouraged me to walk a lot when I
was a young child and the habit of walking and
my pleasure in it has persisted.

July, 2011

 Purpose:

to examine attitudes and

behaviors concerning walking
Focus on avid walkers

On-line survey sponsored by America Walks

Partner Organizations:
AARP (participating state chapters)
Active Transportation Alliance
Alliance for Biking & Walking
American Public Health Association
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP)
Bike Walk Virginia
California Walks
Initiative for Bike & Ped Innovation (IBPI) at Portland State U.
PedNet Coalition
PEDS
Rails-To-Trails Conservancy
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition
Walk Boston
Walk San Diego
Walk San Francisco
Walking.About.com
Willamette Pedestrian Coalition

About the survey:

Survey conducted between April 27 & June
13
Publicized through

homepages
e-mails

Went viral facebook, twitter, blogs

Purposive sample; n = 7,019
Some less avid walkers also included among
respondents

 Demographic

profile
Survey

U.S.

90.1%
1.6%
2.4%
2.1%

67.0%
4.8%
11.6%
14.2%

33.8%
47.2%
$46,256

17.4%
10.1%
$41,994

Race

White, non-Hispanic
Asian
African-American
Hispanic

Education
Bachelors degree
Grad training or degree

Median HH Income
34.4%
% 45 55.0%
65.0%
% Female

50.9%

 Frequency

of Walking
Frequency

Never
Rarely
A few times a month
1-2 days a week
3-4 days a week
5-6 days a week
Everyday

33
257
415
889
1589
1510
2264

Total

6957

77.0% are avid walkers!

Percent
0.5
3.7
6.0
12.8
22.8
21.7
32.5

100.0

Frequency of Walking

Walk Frequency by Age

Age
18-24
25-30
31-44
45-64
65+

Frequent
Walker
63.7%
57.6%
51.6%
52.9%
61.1%

Infrequent
Walker
36.3%
42.4%
48.4%
47.1%
38.9%

Walk Frequency by Education

Education
h.s or less
some coll.
coll. deg.
grad. deg.

Frequent
Walker
45.9%
52.0%
50.0%
58.5%

Infrequent
Walker
54.1%
48.0%
50.0%
41.5%

Length of Time a Person Has Been Walking

Frequency

< 1 year
1 year up to 2 years
2 years up to 3 years
3 years up to 5 years
> 5 years

301
349

Percent
7.5
8.6

356
439

8.8
10.9

2,592

64.2

4,037

100.0

Total

Almost two-thirds have been walking

more than 5 years.

Length of Time

Where Do People Walk?

Frequency

Gym
Treadmill at home
Mall
Parks/forests
Sidewalks/streets
Other
Combination of places

Percent

93
75
16
427
3,422
90
1,233

1.7
1.4
0.3
8.0
63.9
1.7
23.0

5,356

100.0

Total

More than two-thirds

use sidewalks/streets

Where Do People Walk?

Source of Original Encouragement

Frequency

Percent

Family member
287
5.4
Friend
219
4.1
Health care professional
212
Organization in my community
59
Organization I work for
140
Media
353
6.6
Just decided on my own
3,037
Dont remember
284
Other
763
14.3

Total

5,354

100.0

Just decided on my own?!

4.0
1.1
2.6
56.7
5.3

Orientation toward Walking for Non-Pet Owners & Pet

Owners

Orientation toward Walking by Age

(excludes pet owners)

18-24 25-30 31-44 45-64 65+

Health/
relaxation

TOTAL

7.7%

13.0%

27.6% 45.8% 52.5%

35.3%

50.5%

43.3%

31.4%

13.0% 10.3%

23.6%

Both reasons 41.8%

43.7%

41.0%

41.3% 37.2%

41.2%

Get to a
destination

Walking for health/relaxation increases

with age.

Orientation toward Walking by Age

Orientation toward Walking by Sex

(excludes pet owners)

Female
38.6%

Male
29.5%

TOTAL
35.3%

Get to a destination 18.8%

32.1%

23.6%

Both reasons

38.4%

41.1%

Health/relaxation

42.6%

Female health/relaxation; male - instrumental

Walking and Walkability

Walkability of Neighborhood
Low Medium High Total
Infrequent
walkers 35.1%
22.0% 11.9% 22.7%
Frequent
walkers 64.9%
78.0% 88.1% 77.3%
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

We moved to Baltimore City's Federal Hill

neighborhood specifically because of its walkability.
When deciding which neighborhood to live in,
walkability was a main factor for me.
Walkability needs to be a our top national
transportation priority
My neighborhood is really nice in terms of walkability.
Walkability is a dealbreaker for me. Won't live
anywhere without good transport and local shopping.

Orientation toward Walking by Walkability Factor

(excludes pet owners)

Low

Medium

Health/relaxation

High
Walkability Walkability Walkability

56.2%

Get to a destination 11.5%

Both reasons

32.3%
100.0%

32.8%

14.2%

TOTAL

31.4%

25.0%

35.6%

25.7%

42.3%
100.0%

50.3%
100.0%

42.9%
100.0%

Low walkability health/relaxation;

high walkability instrumental.

Orientation toward Walking by Population

Density
(excludes pet owners)

Low

Health/relaxation
Get to a destination
Both reasons

Middle
Density

High
Density

Density

59.4%

41.3%

12.4%

8.7%

19.1%

31.9%
100.0%

39.6%
100.0%

38.1%

TOTAL

35.1%
23.6%

49.4% 41.3%
100.0% 100.0%

Low density health/relaxation; high density instrumental.

Orientation and Length of Walking (mins.)

(excludes pet owners)

15 to < 30 30 to < 60 60 to < 90 90+ Dont know

Health/
relaxation

33.9%

50.1%

12.2%

3.6%

0.3%

Get to a
destination

83.5%

14.0%

0.8%

0.8%

1.0%

Both reasons

57.1%

33.2%

6.4%

2.3%

1.0%

Health/relaxation long trips;

instrumental short trips

Accessories While Walking

Electronic device
Walking shoes
Water bottle
Pedometer
Reflector
Walking poles
Body weights

56.7%
51.4%
23.2%
12.7%
12.0%
2.1%
1.4%

Reasons for Walking

(percentage who answered very important)

Walking helps me to maintain good health - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 71.1

Walking helps me to feel calm and less stressed - - - - - - - - - -60.6
Walking gives me more physical energy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 58.2
Walking gets me out of the house and I feel better afterwards - - 53.6
Walking helps me to maintain my weight - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52.0
Walking allows me to get to a specific destination such as work,
school, or a store - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 51.8
Walking gives me an opportunity to go out and explore my
surroundings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47.7
Walking helps me to lose weight - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34.2
Walking allows me to take care of my pet - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22.4
Walking is how I get to/from transit stops - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22.1
Walking gives me an opportunity to spend time with family or
friends - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17.0
Walking is my main form of transportation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9.7

It is a win/win form of transportation.

Walking helps me reduce my environmental
impact.
Gives me uninterrupted talk time with my
husband or daughter.
I enjoy the time alone.
I simply feel better after a walk.
Walking is the most sensible way to go short
distances.

Type of Walker and Medical Conditions

Health/
relaxation

15 lbs. overweight
Hypertension
Depression
Arthritis
Asthma
Osteoporosis
Diabetes
Heart disease
Cancer
None of the above

Frequent Walkers
Get to a
destination
Both

36.6
19.4
7.8
11.8
7.8
6.9
6.1
4.4
2.2
36.4

19.5
7.2
9.3
5.2
8.4
1.4
1.8
0.6
0.5
60.3
You
should
walk
more.

25.9
12.5
9.4
9.2
9.1
4.1
3.5
2.0
1.5
49.0

Infrequent
walkers
41.9
18.7
12.8
10.9
8.5
4.1
4.8
3.1
1.6
38.5

TOTAL
31.8
15.0
9.9
9.6
8.5
4.4
4.2
2.7
1.5
44.9

Reasons for Not Walking

(percentage who strongly agree)

I am involved in other physical activities and do not feel the

need to walk more - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16.9
In my neighborhood things like not enough sidewalks or
speeding motor vehicles discourage me from walking more - - - 13.3
I do not have time to walk more - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12.8
With things like work or family responsibilities, I do not have
the energy left to walk more - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10.8
There are not many desirable places nearby in which to walk - - - 10.6
I am just not that enthusiastic about walking more - - - - - - - - - 6.9
The level of crime in my neighborhood discourages me from
walking more - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4

no sidewalks, speeding cars, and unrestrained dogs

laziness!
My girlfriend does not like walking that much.
There's no point. You have to drive anywhere to get
to anything.
I don't usually consider walking as an alternative. I
just hop in the car to go somewhere without
thinking.

Safety Problems for Walkers

Very big
Somewhat of
problem (%)
problem (%)

Drivers talking on cell phones or using

other electronic devices _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
54.2
Speeding motor vehicles _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 22.9
Unsmooth sidewalks or other walking surfaces _ _ 13.4
Not enough sidewalks __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 18.7
Poorly-lit streets _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10.7
The sidewalks are too narrow _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6.8
The walk signs or street signals do not give me
enough time to walk across the street safely _ _ _ 5.5
Crime _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3.4
Dogs or other animals _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3.4

26.5

Total%

27.7
30.3
24.7
20.7
22.6
16.5

53.2
43.4
39.4
33.3
23.3

12.6
10.1
9.7

18.1
13.5
13.1

Drivers in my area do not give pedestrians the right of

way in cross walks.
The greatest physical danger to frequent walkers in my
community are speeding drivers who run red lights
and fail to slow at crosswalks.
I would walk MUCH more often if we had sidewalks and
more tickets for cell-phone/texting drivers.
Cars turn right on red without stopping or looking even
when I have the WALK signal.
Distracted drivers is my number one concern while
walking.

Transportation Used by School-age Children

of Respondents (n=775)

Automobile - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31.4%
Walking - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23.5%
School bus/van - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20.4%
Child (children) uses a combination of means - - 14.8%
Bicycle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3.6%
More than one child in elementary school and
they use different means of transportation - - - 2.8%
Public transportation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.7%
Other - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.7%

Transportation to School by Walkability

Transportation
to school
Automobile
School bus
Bike
Walk
All other

Walkability of Neighborhood
Low
Medium
High
Total
38.3%
25.7%
1.5%
17.0%
17.5%

100.0%

32.3%
20.4%
4.4%
21.7%
21.2%

17.2%
9.9%
5.9%
40.4%
26.6%

29.4%
18.7%
3.9%
26.1%
21.7%

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Transportation to School and Parents Walking

Transportation
to school

Automobile
School bus/van
Bicycle
Walking
All else

Walking by Parents
Infrequent Frequent
45.5%
22.5%
3.0%
16.0%
13.0%

26.4%
19.6%
4.0%
26.2%
23.8%

Total
31.3%
20.3%
3.8%
23.6%
21.0%

Only 6.6% heard or read about the benefits of

walking through the media.
Only 4.0% said that a health care professional
encouraged them to walk.
Even among those with medical conditions, only a small
proportion received encouragement to walk from a health
care professional.

Many health/relaxation walkers have a serious

medical condition.
For them, walking is for the purpose of preventing further
deterioration in health.

Greater efforts need to be expended to publicize

the multiple benefits of walking.

Among infrequent walkers, a higher percentage

cited neighborhood factors (e.g., not enough
sidewalks, speeding motor vehicles) rather than
personal factors (e.g., not enough time).
54.2% of respondents cite drivers talking on cell
phones or using other electronic devices as a
very big problem or somewhat of a problem.
53.2% of respondents cite speeding motor
vehicles as a very big problem or somewhat
of a problem.
More resources should be devoted to protecting
pedestrians.

Large percentages of respondents noted

infrastructure as a problem:
Unsmooth sidewalks (43.4%)
Lack of sidewalks (39.4%)
Poorly lit streets (33.3%)

Walkability matters.
Walkability and population
density are not the same. Avid walkers are in
cities, suburbs and rural areas.
Walkability matters.
Children walk to school if there parents are
walkers and if they live in walkable
neighborhoods.
Walkability matters.

Thank you.
now go take a walk.

Photo credits:
slide 3 www.pedbikeimages.org/LucianoRizzi
slide 13 www.pedbikeimages.org/LauraSandt
slide 24; upper right www.pedbikeimages.org/MaxBushell
slide 24; lower left www.pedbikeimages.org/DanBurden