Maximum Walkable Distance

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md0
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Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby md0 » 2018-12-16, 14:34

It's a think that has been in my mind for a while, and the recent government decision here in Cyprus to decrease fuel tax reminded me of it.

What's the maximum distance, on average, that people where you grew up and/or live are willing to go on foot before they decide to use a private car (or for countries were people are willing to use public transport, that).

I grew up in a village that was 3km across (it has expanded a bit since), and the culture there was that any distance over 300 meters was enough to justify using a car. So to go from my house and my cousins' house, someone would inevitably offer to drive me to and from there.

I live in Nicosia now, and I think people are willing to walk more here, but not by much. Maybe up to a 1000 meters.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Luís » 2018-12-16, 15:51

Well, that depends on a lot of factors.

I often walk to and from work (about 3km) but if I'm in a hurry, the weather isn't good (e.g. it's raining) or I'm carrying a lot of groceries, I will definitely use public transportation or the bike-sharing system.

I really don't think most people here would use a car to travel 300m (they probably would only find a parking spot more than 300m away from the place they wanted to go anyway :P ) but outside of big cities, I'm sure it happens a lot more.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-12-16, 15:52

I have no idea, but I'd say the maximum walkable distance for me might be two miles or something?

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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby JackFrost » 2018-12-16, 17:10

Well, I play Pokemon Go and it has Adventure Sync, which credits walking-distance towards the hatching of eggs and getting candies from your buddy when the application is not open. You just keep your phone in your pocket as you walk around.

Since Monday 9 am, I have so far walked 45 kilometres. I will definitely go over the 50 mark when it'll be reset tomorrow at 9 am. Note that it's the first time I'll hit that mark since the feature became part of the game a few weeks ago, so 45-50 km are my weekly average walking distance.

So, roughly I walk 6-7 km per day. But it's winter now and I don't go outside for long. Summertime, maybe 10 km per day? I'll see eventually in five months. :P
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby md0 » 2018-12-16, 17:27

Luís wrote:I really don't think most people here would use a car to travel 300m (they probably would only find a parking spot more than 300m away from the place they wanted to go anyway :P )

I am trying not to make this thread all about my ranting about terrible car culture in Cyprus, that this is exactly one of the reasons things are so bad here. People who drive cars find it unacceptable not to park right outside the venue they are visiting. As a result, pedestrian sidewalks, bike lanes, bus lanes, and often the outermost traffic lane in roads with multiple lanes are used as parking spots. People will cross to the opposite lane of traffic to park in front of a shop on the other side of the road as well, instead of going around the block.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Fruchtenstein » 2019-01-05, 19:04

From the Russian perspective, it depends on the age. Younger generations who grew up in a relative prosperity, take cars as an absolute necessity. Some of my younger friends won't take a walk to a bakery 300 yards away. For the people in the age of 40-60 walking a mile or two is a viable alternative to public transit. I have to admit, though, that my friends are not a typical group, some of them being active sportsmen and ultramarathon runners. I run every day to work and back (5-10k one way, depending on the route I chose).
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby linguoboy » 2019-01-05, 22:05

I would say it varies a lot. I was surprised recently when leading some friends from a demo to a local sushi restaurant. The distance was about 1 km (and I told them this up front), but we were less than halfway there before one of them asked me "Are we almost there?"

If something is less than 2 km, I'll typically walk, though this is somewhat dependent on weather, convenience of public transportation, etc. (In good weather when I have the time and nothing to carry, I'll happily walk twice that far.) I think for most of my urbanite friends, the distance is the same or slightly less. My suburbanite friends are more likely to drive.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby mōdgethanc » 2019-01-08, 16:27

I don't even know what it is but I love walking and don't find 1-2 km to be a burden as long as the weather's nice. In the winter it's another story, because Canada.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Hoogstwaarschijnlijk » 2019-02-14, 9:47

I'm not sure about the kilometers but I think 30 a 45 minutes walking is acceptable (3 km?). But if you're in your own city then you take your bike if it's longer than 10 minutes. If on bike it's longer than 30 a 45 minutes (8 km?) then you take public transport or your car (if you have one).

At least, that's what I do.
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby france-eesti » 2019-02-14, 14:13

+1 that's what I'd do :)
Maximum walkable distance => 30 minutes
Maximum cyclable distance => 30 minutes
Then train or car :D
But the most important...
I want to ride my bicycle!!
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Ciarán12 » 2019-02-14, 19:35

I find it difficult to answer as I'm aware I'm an odd case: I used to walk 35km every day for a while, and before that I would regularly walk 20km at least to get home from the city centre. I'd still think nothing of walking for an hour, two even. Most people I know are not like that though. I'd say, depending on if the person has a car or not (which, here in Dublin at least, is certainly not a given) and on ease of access to public transport near them and which go to near where they want to get to and which don't require too many transfers between one bus/train/tram and another to make the journey, on average people would probably walk about 30 mins before considering alternative options. So, like, 2-3km.

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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Antea » 2020-03-01, 14:09

Here, in Barcelona, I can go to whatever place I want, walking (and I have done it, because I love walking). It depends more on if I am in a hurry, if I don’t have many time to spend, or if I have to go to a place related to work and so I can not arrive in baskets shoes and all sweating.

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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Gormur » 2020-03-03, 16:09

I find it funny how in places like Grímsey, Iceland people have vehicles just because they can but the island is roughly a few kilometers long/1mi :)

A 5 km walk is nothing to me. I enjoy it and usually walk over 20 km per week. I realize this isn't typical but who cares when typical is a bunch of lazy ducks :D
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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Varislintu » 2021-02-01, 12:11

I measured on G. Earth that the distance along footpaths to the closest centre (i.e. public traffic hub, shops, services) to our home is 1.5 km, and that really feels like a no-brainer to walk. I also see plenty of older people walking to this same centre, from varying distances. Probably most people who take a car in this kind of situation prefer it because they need to haul some groceries or other shopping home with them.

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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby Eireannach » 2022-02-02, 10:00

My walkable distance usually is normally a mile or two, this is measured on the fact that I use public transport to travel around 3.5 miles to a nearby area.

However, if I am drunk... I think nothing of walking over this amount even in the dead of night.

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Re: Maximum Walkable Distance

Postby vijayjohn » 2022-02-17, 20:23

How much further do you walk when drunk, then?


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