23 replies to this topic

[Ms. B. Havin]

I have a hard time finding anything on this forum / using the search function. So, even though I know that the "Walk Score" website came up somewhere here earlier, I'm doing a new thread 'cause I can't find the other / older one.

I'd like your help!

The other day I once again put my address into Walk Score (http://www.walkscore.com/), and again was totally ticked off at the lousy rating I got -- a rating that had not much if anything to do with reality (of amenities, shops, schools, etc. within easy walking distance of less than 1.5km, i.e., less than a mile -- not to mention all the stuff within half that distance!).

So I emailed them via the contact page, and just got this reply:

We rely on Google Maps for our data. The best way we currently know of to correct/update info is to go here: www.google.com/local/add. There is a recently added user add-to-map function on Google as well, it might be worth your while to take a look at it:
http://www.google.co...s/edit/faq.html

Also, so you know roughly how we get a Walk Score -- the Walk Score algorithm rates amenities within a mile of an address, with everything within 1/4 of a mile awarded the most points, things within a 1/2 mile a little less points and so on up to one mile.

So how about it? Let's all use those options to add stores/ amenities/ facilities, etc.

Believe it our not, Market on Yates isn't listed, nor are a gazillion other places... I'm sure we all have several places we could add, and it would really add up to a much more accurate reading for Victoria.

[Ms. B. Havin]

PS: I did just try adding a business, as per WalkScore's email suggestion.

But guess what? Apparently one has to be the business owner, not just a user/ customer. This is crazy.

For example, Market on Yates is listed as a business (on Google Maps), and I can find it on Google Maps (but NOT on WalkScore), but if I use that link sent by Walk Score (http://www.google.com/local/add) to add this business to WalkScore, I would have to verify that I'm the business owner, ...even though it is on Google Maps already.

Those readers / lurkers/ participants who are business owners might want to use the link (http://www.google.com/local/add) to add their business.

I just sent WalkScore an email, asking how users/ customers can update information if they're not the business owners. Let's see if I hear back from them...?

[jklymak]

Yes its something to do with Google's search algorithm - "grocery" in B.C. only returns stores with the name "grocery". "Market" finds "Market on Yates" no problem.

Market on Yates needs to fill in their google business center information more completely.

Ooops, cross post...

I actually submitted MoY info and they will get a postcard from google in 2-3 weeks!

[Nparker]

So I guess one can conclude, based on the data currently available for WalkScore, that it is pretty much a useless tool, at least locally.

[Coreyburger]

If you are going to spend your time adding crap to maps, at least spend the time adding it to a map that keeps that data free: OpenStreetMap.

It is a pretty easy to edit. Create an account, then login, zoom to the area you live and then click edit.

[gumgum]

You can do that to googlemaps as well. You can create your own personal map of an area and make it public if you want.

[Ms. B. Havin]

... spend your time adding crap to maps...

I think you misunderstand what WalkScore will be/ can be used for by urbanists, globally, and that not showing Victoria as eminently "walkable" and walk-friendly again leaves us out of what is shaping up to be an important conversation in urban circles.

Also, what gumgum said.

[Coreyburger]

The "crap" part of my sentence was being funny. I am very much making it easier for people to realize just how easy it is to walk in this city.

[jklymak]

They seem to have improved the walk score. I now get 95/100.

[G-Man]

Near Quadra Village I score 69 points, considering I walk almost everywhere I am not sure I agree.

[gumgum]

I think this site is out of touch. I live one block from Cook St Village and a 20 minute walk from d/t and I got 60.

[G-Man]

I think part of the problem is that it is not counting how close any home is to the downtown core rather just the ammenities close by.

[gumgum]

Yes. We all can't live in downtown toronto.

[jklymak]

How it works:

Walk Score uses a patent-pending system to measure the walkability of an address. The Walk Score algorithm awards points based on the distance to the closest amenity in each category. If the closest amenity in a category is within .25 miles (or .4 km), we assign the maximum number of points. The number of points declines as the distance approaches 1 mile (or 1.6 km)—no points are awarded for amenities further than 1 mile. Each category is weighted equally and the points are summed and normalized to yield a score from 0–100. The number of nearby amenities is the leading predictor of whether people walk.1

Oxford and Cook is 1.6 km from Yates and Quadra, 1.9 from View and Broad. So thats why your score is low.

I think I'd agree with them: a 20 minute walk is going to discourage a lot of people from walking to get their groceries (for instance) though I'm not sure I'd taper down to 0 at that point - maybe 1/3rd...

Also 1 mile in downtown Toronto takes a lot longer to walk than 1 mile from Cook St Village to downtown, so maybe they should really do it by walking time rather than distance.

[VicDuck]

Also 1 mile in downtown Toronto takes a lot longer to walk than 1 mile from Cook St Village to downtown, so maybe they should really do it by walking time rather than distance.

That would make it almost impossible because the time it takes varies on how crowded the streets or how fast you walk while distance is set in stone.

[jklymak]

Sure, but google comes up w/ a driving or walking times. If the walking time algorithm takes into account how many lights there are on the street, it should work fine.

[CharlieFoxtrot]

I think this is a great idea for a site, but their database of amenities is flawed. The need some QA/QC on this...

I'm in vic west, and:

-the Save On Foods is not listed as a grocery store.
-there is apparently a Serious Coffee on Esquimalt road between Harbour and Tyee. Who knew?
-Elevated Audio and Visual on Bay is listed as a cinema. Atlas Video and Sound Advice are also listed in this manner.
-the Cinecenta at Uvic is shown as being on Langley between Bastion Square and Yates.
-Victoria West Park is not listed under Parks. Huh. You'd think it'd be hard to miss.
-oops; found Save-On it's listed as a drug store.
-The Rona is not listed under Hardware Stores.

Some of that has gotta cost me some points - I scored a lowly 66.
Then again, I probably scored some mad points for being so close to all the "theaters"...

[Bernard]

I see that the database is missing a lot of locations and also a lot of categories. There is nothing there for Rec Centres, Ice Rinks, Schools, Doctors' Offices etc.....

[pseudotsuga]

If you are going to spend your time adding crap to maps, at least spend the time adding it to a map that keeps that data free: OpenStreetMap.

It is a pretty easy to edit. Create an account, then login, zoom to the area you live and then click edit.

Twitter tells me walkscore is moving to open source.
I haven't looked, but perhaps this will allow developers use its algorithms to point to OSM. Now that I have a smartphone I think OSM is definitely the way to go.

[pseudotsuga]

You can do that to googlemaps as well. You can create your own personal map of an area and make it public if you want.

Yes, but the databases driving gmaps are proprietary and access is not always a given, even if you input the info yourself. Less of a concern to the user, but to the developer of a location based service, it can be an important point.