ETC Conference Papers

Seminar
Day 1 (28 Sep 2015), Session 2, Tools for integrated design for pedestrians, 16:30 - 17:00

Status
Accepted, documents submitted

Submitted by / Abstract owner
Paulo Anciaes

Authors
Paulo Rui Anciaes, University College London, Peter Jones, University College London

Short abstract
This research used video surveys and bus stop data to analyse the influence of road traffic on pedestrian flows

Abstract
Motorised traffic inhibits the movement of pedestrians, with potentially far-reaching consequences on the wellbeing of the residents in affected areas. The persistence of these effects may lead to the suppression of walking trips, which is associated with lower levels of accessibility to goods and services, physical exercise, and social interaction

This paper assesses the influence of traffic on pedestrians in an area in London surrounded by major roads. The study adds to the existing literature by investigating the role of traffic levels and speeds in explaining discrepancies between observed and expected pedestrian pavement and crossing flows. The observed flows were calculated from a video survey and the expected flows were obtained by analysing the number of passengers using bus stops and using network analysis to derive the optimal walking routes to those bus stops. The use of this approach is facilitated by the characteristics of the case study area, a neighbourhood with very few destinations for pedestrians other than bus stops.

The analysis found evidence suggesting that some pedestrians avoid the main road running through the area, which has high traffic levels and speeds. The propensity to cross the road is much higher in quieter roads, when comparing both with the number of pedestrians walking along the road and crossing in formal crossing facilities. The propensity to cross tend to decrease with traffic levels, both when considering the daily crossing flows in different crossing points across the study area, and when considering the variations in traffic levels throughout the day in the same location.