Want to take a stroll around Ballard? The Seattle Department of Transportation has a new recreational walking map to help you figure out the best route for your interests and your fitness level.
The map gives an estimated time along each leg of a walk. For instance, to walk from Market to NW 65th along 17th Ave NW, the map predicts it will take about ten minutes. As Seattle residents know — and as visitors quickly pick up — city streets vary in slope from pancake flat to whoo-boy steep. Those streets are colored yellow on the map. Thankfully Ballard is fairly flat.
The routes on the Seattle Walking Map come from a variety of sources, including The Feet First walking advocacy organization, King County, and SDOT. Routes follow sidewalks, shoulders on quiet streets, and park trails.
This new series of maps divides Seattle into three sections: north, central, and south. Adjoining sections of the map include a limited amount of overlap, should the selected route cross from one section to another. The entire city map can be found here (.pdf) with the North Seattle map here (.pdf).
Wow, some folks have really put a lot of thought and work into this. But I can’t help but wonder…why exactly?
reduce obesity?
You can tell we’ve become a nation of 4 yr olds when the government needs to draw maps so we know where to take our evening strolls.
I think that these are great. Anything that will help encourage people to walk, either for transportation or recreation sounds like a good idea to me. Walking is a great way to activate public spaces, keeps people healthy, and is fun! Sounds like the city just compiled a lot of work other people have done and information that they already had. Probably more geared towards the elderly or out of shape than it is geared toward “4 year olds.” While most of us probably don’t need one for Ballard, could be useful in other unfamiliar neighborhoods.
This is great! Now you can check the Metro the online tracker and see how late your bus is running then compare it to the map and decide if you can get there faster by walking.
I agree. But who needs to look at a map before walking in their own neighborhood? If we can view satellite maps in real time on our telephones, it seems like redundant information. But maybe I’m making too much of it…
Like I mentioned earlier most of us probably wouldn’t need it walking around Ballard, but unfamiliar neighborhoods it would be handy. You could always look a it on a cellphone too, probably be a lot easier finding a good walking route looking at this map then a satellite image.
One thing I would like is this map or a similar map including ADA features. As a young guy in a wheelchair who pushes himself around probably more then a lot of people walk, marking which routes had curb ramps would be great. Probably wouldn’t really take much work adding this information as the city has it all in their GIS system. The city should have some intern work on a wheelchair/scooter map.
It keeps people working is why. At least half of the workers in the US today have jobs that are basially pointless but gotta keep that old economy going.
Our entuire system is based on mostly selling useless toys and crap and keeping enough people employed so they will have the money to buy them.
I can think of better ways for the city to spend money but I guess there will always be a class of people who think the government should be out holding your hand for a ‘walk’.
This from someone with a gub’ment job.
That’s not the reason. The DOT has plenty of important work to do that doesn’t seem to be getting done. It’s a question of priorities. But what the hell do I know, right?
That guy in the white shirt is HOT!