Education

In theory, the area around Douglas and Hillside should be one of Wichita’s most walkable.

There are 1,103 bus stops in Wichita. More than 84 percent of them do not have benches. Consequently, riders, who sometimes have to wait over an hour for their bus to come, have to stand the entire time. Such conditions impact the transit experience and undermine the walkability of Wichita.

Cities should understand that “schools belong in neighborhoods,” argues Speck, and “locate them to be walkable and resist the urge to consolidate them into large facilities.”

We do this through Participation, Advocacy, Collaboration, and Education (PACE). These four pillars guide how we engage with the community, shape our programs, and inform how we push for progress.

“Revert multilane one-ways to two-way for safety,” argues urban planner Jeff Speck in Walkability City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places.[2] One-way, like First or Second, appears safe, Speck notes, because there are fewer chances for head-on collisions.

Bike Walk Wichita to launch Walkable Wednesdays, a new blog series exploring what makes a city truly walkable—and how Wichita can rise to the challenge.