Unscientific Survey: The Walking Habit
Our latest Unscientific Survey jibes with what our eyes have seen: Over the past year, Swarthmoreans have taken to the streets. About 81% of readers reported walking more since the pandemic began.
On the matter of where they amble, the accompanying chart shows that the biggest group of respondents reported walking around town, but sizable numbers liked other local routes and trails as well. Some favorites mentioned in the comments include the Don Guanella Woods, around the lake in Ridley Park, the Navy Yard, Old Mill Trail in Rose Valley, Chester Creek Trail, the Linvilla Orchards perimeter loop, and Furness Park.
The most frequently voiced comment was expressed by this anonymous respondent: “Opening the college up would be such a huge boost to morale — I hope they’ll consider it later this spring!” Someone else plaintively remarked (the sigh was almost audible on the page), “Oh, we do wish for the return of access to Crum Woods.”
(Greg Brown, the college’s vice president for finance and administration, told the Swarthmorean by email that a re-opening is not imminent. “The biggest single deterrent to reopening the campus is the lack of access to vaccinations for members of our on-campus community,” he said. “So far, almost none of our students and only a small number of on-campus staff have been able to get vaccinated. Once a critical mass of students, staff, and faculty have been vaccinated, we expect to be able to gradually reopen the campus for the use of the wider community.”)
Some other comments:
“My wife Jen and me, along with Andy and Susanna Hooper, have taken on a pandemic project to walk all of Ridley Township’s 86+ miles of roads. At first we were going to do it for charity, but we decided to just do it!” –Rich Rothman
“Walking to get mail and back each day is good; a quarter-mile each way.” –Raymond Hopkins
“Walking around town has made me realize the importance of sidewalks. Would love to see a concerted effort by our local towns/boroughs to have sidewalks on at least one side of all/most streets — especially the busy ones.”
“My wife and I have explored a dozen new hikes within 50 miles of here since lockdown last March. If we never bend the curve, we might find a dozen more.” –Richard Allen
“I like walking in small Delco towns. I try to see what I have been missing by driving through at 35 mph.”
“I walk both alone and with my husband. We never know who or what we will see. What will those dinosaurs on Park Avenue be wearing? Will we see winter aconite blooming? Yikes! That was a huge branch that came down. It is always something and always enjoyable.” –Carol Williamson
“I walk less now because walking with a mask is not as pleasant as my garden without a mask.”
“We’ve been walking around looking for the favorite trees and the houses of the week.” –Steven Melly
“When I moved to Swarthmore in 2017, I downloaded a map of the borough and in a short period of time walked on every block. Still discovering paths that connect, some interesting cut-throughs. A good way to see the landscape and encounter people for a hello. The only difference that COVID has made is the need to mask and cross the street to give others space; but also the opportunities to stop and chat even at a distance are welcome and sometimes the only face-to-face interactions that day.” –Ann Foster
“In the first few months, I made it a point to walk on every street in Swarthmore south of the tracks. I also walked most of the ones north of the tracks, but not all.” –John Swartzentruber
“I’m happy to have been pushed to explore new places, even if I’m not happy about the reason. I do miss sitting in one place and talking with a friend whose face I can see rather than negotiating sometimes-muddy trails and talking through masks.”
“Thank you to everyone who wears a mask and who is careful to socially distance!”
