Just saw this Auto-Free Livable Cities Guide that uses a rather elaborate ranking system to rate which cities in the U.S. are the best to be Auto-Free.

Rankings were based on crime rates, transit use, number of people that walk to work, transit market share, and cost of living.

For the overall results,  Ann Arbor scored an 85.2 for Auto-Free living.  This is number #3 overall behind New York City (90.7) and Boston (86).

However, when you factor in the cost of living, Ann Arbor is the number 1 place to live Auto Free (that’s right NUMBER 1) with 86.7  points. 

Lookin’ Good, huh?

Prevention magazine just released it’s ranking of the best walking cities in the U.S. Ann Arbor, MI is ranked #3!  Only Cambridge, MA and New York City are better.

Considering that 15% of employees in downtown businesses walk to work (according to a 2005 study) I am not surprised.

As someone who walks to work (and bikes and takes the bus) I definitely agree that Ann Arbor is very walkable. I think the one of the things I like the most is that there are so many ways I can walk to work (and the downtown). I think having that variety is really nice.

So what do you think about this? How can we become number 1?