A walking audit is like doing your own survey of the walking opportunities and challenges in your neighbourhood. It provides a structured approach to looking for the things that help or hinder people who walk.

 

The good thing is you don’t need to be a quantity surveyor or engineer to do it as the tools and the know-how are right here on this site.

 

Walking Audit

In many places, roads are in better condition than the paths and crossings for people who walk.

 

Often, this is because not enough attention has been given to people who walk, and because the people who live, work or walk in your neighbourhood haven’t brought the issues they’ve noticed to the attention of the local Council or VicRoads.

 

A walking audit is a survey of the walking environment in your neighbourhood. It provides a structured approach to looking for the things that help or hinder people to walk.

 

To get started, print out and read the walking audit tool and the supporting information we’ve created.

 

The audit tool is simply a list of things to check and record as you walk around your neighbourhood. It will help you identify what could be done to bring your local walking environment up to an acceptable standard – or even better, a high standard!

 

Observation and discussion are two of the most useful ways to identify what needs to be done. If there are people having difficulty crossing a road or finding a seat, tripping on a footpath, waiting for a light to change or looking for shade, the answers are obvious – more crossings, more seats, better footpaths, improved traffic light responsiveness and more trees or shelters.

 

Talking to other walkers – especially the frail, those using prams or strollers, and those in wheelchairs – is a good way to find out where there are problems you may not have noticed.

 

The supporting information gives you more detail about specific things you should look out for when you’re completing the audit, and gives you some idea of what is currently seen as ‘good practice’ in making sure people have walking-friendly environments.

 

We also attempt to identify the costs of some of the potential improvements people may wish to see implemented. However, the costs of many improvements will depend on the specific site – and many will need to be approved and funded by your local Council or VicRoads, or both.

 

Small improvements include things like upgrading areas of footpaths, improving crossings, improving maintenance, clearing rubbish and changing traffic light timing. More expensive improvements include new traffic or pedestrian lights, major engineering works to upgrade whole sections of footpaths or replace steps with ramps, and other works that change the walking environment radically.

 

However, even poorly designed areas can quickly be made much more “pedestrian friendly” and walkable with simple, small improvements. Don't forget some of the best improvements that can be made are those that you can do yourself !

 

Before you start 

  • First things first, decide where you want to walk. Is it a route to the shops or nearby park, visiting a friend or perhaps going to the local school?
  • Find someone to walk with – a friend, your kids, a neighbour. Having someone with you will make it more fun, and makes it more likely you’ll notice and record all the things you see along your route.
  • Print out and read the audit checklist we’ve designed. This checklist will help you look for things that could be changed to make your neighbourhood better for walking.
  • If you have one, take a camera on your audit. Photographs of the things you noticed can help explain the need for change.
  • Make notes as you walk your audit route, using the checklist. Note down the things you would like to change.
  • Keep an eye out for other people walking. Ask them if they think the neighbourhood is walk-friendly, and if there are changes they would like to see made.
  • Using the checklist, write up your notes and give each section a rating according to your experience.
  • Think about doing the same audit on different days, or at different times of the day and evening. Things like peak hour traffic and daylight can make a big difference to how pleasant it is (or isn’t) walking a particular route.

 

Complete Streets