One of my favorite cartoons shows a factory executive on the phone at his desk, talking to an auditor. Apparently he is trying to schedule the audit, because he’s saying “How’s never? Is never good for you?”

Most of us do regard “audit” as at least an honorary four-letter word, but in fact the City of Long Beach recently held some fun audits: specifically, walk and bike audits around the Metro Blue Line stations. On two December Saturdays I was part of a group of community residents who showed up to experience and comment on the conditions for cyclists and pedestrians around the stations. I attended walks nearest my house (Wardlow Station) and nearest my office (Transit Mall Station), but all nine Long Beach stations were included in the project.

These audits are particularly timely and relevant, considering the comments on my last post on regional sustainability, as well our recent coverage of the Press-Telegram’s series on dangerous intersections. What’s more, I’ve wanted to go on a walk audit for years. I am not the most opinionated of people, but about walking conditions, I can get kind of passionate, and so I did while perusing the areas around these stations. On the day we visited Wardlow Station, the weather was fine and the cyclists more numerous than the walkers. The bikers took off for a fairly extensive circuit around the station, while we walkers followed a shorter route that took about an hour to cover (including time to stop, make notes, and shake our heads).

Our walk took us across two freeway on-ramps, both within mere yards of the #2 most-dangerous intersection in Long Beach, Wardlow and Long Beach Boulevard. We also passed under two freeway bridges (both involving the 405). We did most of our head-shaking here: these areas are dirty, noisy, dark, and clearly unsafe for pedestrians. At one ramp, what looks like it could be a pedestrian crossing signal from the back is actually a “Meter On” light for drivers. Heck, that’s not a warning there could be a pedestrian, it’s encouragement to drive faster! The other major spot for head-shaking was at the Blue Line tracks themselves, which on the south side of Wardlow are not shielded at all from pedestrians. Granted, few pedestrians walk there, but there’s nothing to stop one from wandering onto the tracks at an inopportune moment.

At the conclusion of the walk we were asked to fill out a survey form rating the overall walking route on factors such as safety, protection from traffic, condition of sidewalks, aesthetics, and so forth. On a scale where 5 was best, I rated all the factors a 2, except aesthetics, which got a rock-bottom 1. Not a lovely area to go walking.

At the Transit Mall we had a bigger group of walkers – and pouring-down rain. But we slogged and sloshed our way around the route, which took us along Pine, Broadway, Elm, and Ocean, peeking out from under hoods and umbrellas to experience the amenities. The sidewalks are wide; there are trees and new lighting; and by and large it’s a pleasant area to walk. We did find that pedestrian provisions are highly inconsistent from street to street. It might be helpful to both drivers and pedestrians (and possibly even to bicyclists) if the City were to adopt a consistent crosswalk pattern throughout downtown. The city’s consultants showed us examples of more-visible crosswalk markings, including “piano key” or “ladder” versions of the more-common pair of transverse lines that mark many crosswalks. My personal pet peeve is that, with the possible exception of the signal at the Promenade and the Transit Mall, pedestrians don’t seem to get any signal priority when they push the crossing button, whether or not any car traffic is coming. (And it was not always so at the Promenade and Transit Mall, either!) And though it was just off our walk-audit route, for the record I still find the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Pacific Avenue frustrating and confusing to walk across, in either direction.

Our input will go back to city planners, who (I hear) have a little money available for projects that could respond. Of course there’s never enough money, but I’m hopeful that we’ll see a few improvements coming. I’m especially grateful that we have been asked for our input! Personally, I’m still spelling “audit” with five letters, not four.

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