Walk Score is a website that can provide data on ease of transport in a specified place with information on different modes of transport and nearby services. It has been so revolutionary that it used by researchers and analysts for government, finance, public health, real estate and urban planning.
Walk Score claims that "transit score measures how well a location is served by public transit based on the distance and type of nearby transit lines." I recently found on the website that Sydney Fish Market got a transit score of 89, meaning it is convenient for most trips. However, it is a bit far from truth in a sense that the buses are not very frequently served so the waiting time is long and it also takes a long time to walk to the stop. For example, travelling to the city by bus would take approximately the same amount of time as walking.
Robert Steuteville, a blogger found other problems with Walk Score. Federal Way, Washington, a suburban area had a walk score of 87, meaning most errands can be accomplished on foot. The reality is that average block size of 14 acres with homes far apart is too large for walking and pedestrians would have to pass through monotonous spaces. Another issue was that the closest "school" had no students and was perhaps just an educational office. The actual ones were half a mile to a mile away.
Robert Steuteville, a blogger found other problems with Walk Score. Federal Way, Washington, a suburban area had a walk score of 87, meaning most errands can be accomplished on foot. The reality is that average block size of 14 acres with homes far apart is too large for walking and pedestrians would have to pass through monotonous spaces. Another issue was that the closest "school" had no students and was perhaps just an educational office. The actual ones were half a mile to a mile away.
Therefore, Walk Score has some serious flaws so it should consider for instance, the frequency of public transport and distance to the stops for Transit Score and conditions of the area and more precise service identification for Walk Score. If not, the next competition might just take over the job and become the reliable data source for smart cities. Additionally, users should be very critical in using these kind of resources and even visit the site if necessary.
References:
No comments:
Post a Comment