Magazine: Town isn't pleasant for walkers

MOUNT PLEASANT — Oh, the agony of de feet!

The town has been rated one of the 10 Worst U.S. Walking Cities of 2008.

"That's crazy. We've got sidewalks all over the place," said Town Council- man Gary Santos. "Obviously, they don't know us," said Mayor Pro-Tem Kruger Smith.

The town ranks 497 on a list of 501 municipalities rated for walkability in the April issue of Prevention magazine. The best walking town is Cambridge, Mass. The worst is Oklahoma City.

"The least-pedestrian-friendly South Carolina city in our survey is Mount

Pleasant," a panel convened by the magazine concluded.

"With the lowest ranking for mass transit users, the second-highest number of cars per household, and fewer parks per square mile than most of the state (it ranks third to last), there's nothing pleasant about walking in Mount Pleasant," the experts said.

"The city also has the second lowest WalkScore in the state, indicating a spread out and nonwalker-friendly city center," the panel said.

The town ranking made sense to resident Danielle Cohen, 32, who pondered the issue Wednesday after exercising on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. "It's not a walking town. It's almost impossible to cross U.S. 17. It's just a lot of traffic. There aren't any spots to really walk around here," Cohen said.

Resident Jim Walden, 60, had a different view. His bridge walk concluded, Walden said he didn't understand the publication's position. "I don't know how it could get any better. I think it's a great place to walk," Walden said.

The most heavily-weighted factors in the expert ratings were the percentage of residents who walk to work, the number of parks per square mile and the crime rate. Pedestrian accidents and fatalities, the percentage of residents who use mass transit and the number of cars per household were among the lesser-weighted considerations.

The town is working toward creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment and increasing open space through park and redevelopment projects. Coleman Boulevard is getting a multimillion dollar makeover that will give it more walk appeal. Same for Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. The 22-acre Memorial Waterfront Park now under construction will provide new green space. It is scheduled to open during Memorial Day Weekend of next year. Council recently paid $6 million for 43.5 acres on Shem Creek, including an acre of high land, and it is developing a plan for public access there. Sidewalks and bicycle paths are incorporated in new subdivisions.

The town's high-priced real estate can range from $500,000 to $1 million an acre, Smith said. "Because of the value of property, we can't afford to buy big chunks of green space," he said.

Santos, Council Recreation Committee chairman, noted that the town recently completed a mile-long nature trail at Patriots Point. And the committee asked Charleston County Parks and Recreation to look into building boardwalks to 800 acres now inaccessible to walkers at Palmetto Islands County Park, he said.

"That's green space out there. It will give the public more access to that green space," he said.

Prevention's experts ranked the 10 largest municipalities in each state. Greenville was top-rated at 36, Charleston was 102 and Columbia was 360. Other rankings were North Charleston, 327; Hilton Head Island, 372; and Summerville, 479.