Inman

Walk Score offers tools for commuters

Apartment hunters can now type in their work address at WalkScore.com and see apartment listings from craigslist.org sorted automatically by estimated commute time.

Walk Score Apartment Search also provides links to MyNewPlace and ForRent.com to search their national databases for rentals with easy commutes.

"Access to public transit and minimizing commute times are high-priority, quality of life issues for many renters," said Mark Moran, MyNewPlace senior vice president of marketing, in a blog post on WalkScore.com.

"We’re very pleased to offer Walk Score users access to MyNewPlace’s extensive inventory of apartments and rental homes in virtually every neighborhood throughout the U.S."

According to the National Association of Realtors, more than three quarters of those in the market for a home rate being within a 30-minute commute to work as important.

Walk Score offers neighborhood maps showcasing local attractions that can also calculate commute costs from a home to a workplace. Website operators can embed the maps on their sites.

Launched in 2007 by "civic software" developer Front Seat, Walk Score generates "walkability" scores for properties and neighborhoods based on the ability to access services and attractions on foot. The company provides more than 4 million "walkability" scores a day on more than 8,000 websites.