Toronto is the 2nd most walkable city in Canada, according to Walk Score, coming in right after Vancouver. With a score of 71, it means that most errands in Toronto can be accomplished on foot and that Toronto also has a pretty impressive public transportation system.
The Walk Score measures walkability on a scale of 0-100 based on how walkable the routes are to run basic errands like visit the grocery store, grab a bite to eat, and drop off the kids to school. The Transit Score, which we will also talk about, calculates the distance to closest transit stop on each route, and the route frequency. Both are important to us, and both are important to many residents in the city.
This week on the blog we take a look at the top Walk Scores in the city:
Bay Street Corridor – Walk Score: 99, Transit Score: 100
With such an impressive Walk Score, Bay Street Corridor is a Walker’s Paradise, meaning you don’t need a car to run any of your daily errands. There are almost 1,500 restaurants, bars and cafes in the neighbourhood, and those who live there can walk past an average of 82 of these shops within five minutes. The Transit Score also makes this neighbourhood a Rider’s Paradise, with about 12 buses, 1 subway line and 7 streetcar lines passing through it.
Church-Yonge Corridor – Walk Score: 98, Transit Score: 99
Number 2 on the list is the Church-Yonge Corridor which has a very close Walk Score to the Bay Street Corridor. Residents in the neighbourhood have easy access to just over 1000 restaurants and cafes in the area. Within five minutes, folks in the area can walk past about 70 of these shops and cafes. It’s also a Rider’s Paradise, with 10 buses, 1 subway and 7 streetcars that pass through daily.
Kensington-Chinatown – Walk Score: 97, Transit Score: 100
Another Walker’s Paradise, those living in the Kensington-Chinatown area also don’t need cars to run their daily errands. Close to several local eateries, and very easy to navigate thanks to a “world-class” public transportation system (easy access to three subway stations, 6 streetcar lines and 2 buses).
University – Walk Score: 97, Transit Score: 100
The University of Toronto neighbourhood is home to a solid 97 Walk Score meaning students and residents who live in the area can walk to their everyday stops, whether it’s to a library, a restaurant or to run a quick errand. The University ‘block’ touches on Yorkville thanks to Bloor Street, so we might be biased when we say it’s our favourite on this list!
Palmerston-Little Italy – Walk Score: 95, Transit Score: 98
Number 5 on the list is Palmerston-Little Italy which is the area between Bloor Street West and College Street, and Bathurst Street and Dovercourt Road. It’s still a Walker’s Paradise with a score of 95, and a Rider’s Paradise with a score of 98. Besides having access to public transit, there’s also 2 car shares from Zipcar in the neighbourhood.
What’s the Walk Score in your neighbourhood? Find out here: https://www.walkscore.com