{"id":194857,"date":"2026-03-07T16:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/194857\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T16:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:56:09","slug":"study-san-antonio-ranks-as-one-of-worlds-least-walkable-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/194857\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: San Antonio ranks as one of world’s least-walkable cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SanSan Antonio recorded 769 traffic crashes involving pedestrians in 2024, according to state data. Credit: Sanford Nowlin<\/p>\n

Coming as little surprise to anyone who\u2019s nearly been run over trying to ride their bike to work or simply walk to the neighborhood H-E-B, a new study ranks San Antonio as one of the world\u2019s least-walkable cities. <\/p>\n

The report by home loan-shopping company Compare the Market ranked 90 cities along eight walkability factors, and the Alamo City landed at a dismal No. 84. Those factors range from each city\u2019s percentage of residents living near basic services to its share of commuters to its number of walking trails.<\/p>\n

Though San Antonio boasts a comparatively low public-transportation ticket price at $1.90, the study found plenty of other deficiencies in our pedestrian infrastructure.\u00a0Just 16% of SA residents live near essential services, for example, while only 9% are near car-free areas and 6% commute by foot, bike or public transit. <\/p>\n

The study named Prague the world\u2019s most walkable city. In the Czech Republic\u2019s capital city, 82% of residents live near a car-free space, while 71% reside near essential services.<\/p>\n

The study\u2019s results aren\u2019t surprising for San Antonio pedestrian advocates. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have over 2,000 miles of broken [sidewalks] or gaps in our sidewalks, so it makes it super-difficult to navigate walking around with that disruption to safe spaces for walking,\u201d said Melanie Cawthon, co-founder and executive director of disABILITYsa, which works to represent the community\u2019s people with disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re a wheelchair user, and you use the sidewalks to navigate across the city and there are sidewalks missing, you\u2019re forced to go into the street,\u201d Cawthon added.<\/p>\n

Statistics bear out Cawthon\u2019s safety concerns. <\/p>\n

San Antonio recorded 769 traffic crashes involving pedestrians in 2024, according to Texas Department of Transportation data. In those, 83 people died and 168 others had serious injuries. Those numbers have stayed largely flat in recent years, the Express-News reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Walkable infrastructure] keeps people alive,\u201d said Joey Pawlik, executive director of ActivateSA, which pushes to make San Antonio more bike and pedestrian friendly. <\/p>\n

Beyond improved safety, walkable spaces offer people greater access to necessities and loved ones, create healthier lifestyles and reduce traffic congestion, Pawlik said. <\/p>\n

For SA to emerge as the kind of walkable city disABILITYsa and ActivateSA envision, improved pedestrian infrastructure must become a political priority, Pawlik said. Fortunately, the city has taken steps in that direction, he added.<\/p>\n

In 2011, San Antonio\u00a0adopted the Complete Streets policy<\/a>, which focuses on improving the design of streets and roads. It also\u00a0implemented Vision Zero<\/a> with the aim of reducing traffic deaths. Beyond that, ActivateSA\u2019s community coalition works to support new plans and policies, according to Pawlik.<\/p>\n

However, the Compare the Market study shows there\u2019s more work to be done. For Cawthon, increased foliage and better upkeep of the sidewalk system are vital. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of work to do, but I think we\u2019re taking better steps to get to that direction of a more walkable, bikeable city,\u201d Pawlik said.<\/p>\n

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