Let’s suppose that you think the 1-mile Solution is a good idea (background here, here, and here). What would help you make that first step out the door?
There are as many ways to answer that question as there are potential walkers and cyclists. Economic distress might push you out the door. Concern for your health and the environment might. Desire for a change in lifestyle might.
I also think information is important for anyone making a first step. Do you know what destinations are within a mile of your house? Do you know the routes you could/would use?
Those are not dumb questions. Our culture is so car-centric that it’s entirely possible to have an unrealistic sense of how (not so) far a mile is and the abundance of destinations that may be found in that distance.
That’s where Walk Score comes in — a nifty mapping tool that shows you all the way-cool stuff within a mile of your house. Just type in your address. Take a look at all the cool stuff near my house.
Granted, I chose to live in a neighborhood close to campus and downtown precisely because I wanted to walk and ride a bicycle for basic transportation. But I’m willing to bet many of you live within one mile of a few important destinations — schools, shops, friends.
The 1-mile Solution does not require a large density of destinations to work. It only takes one. And one trip per week. That’s a start. And that’s huge.