An investigation of the attributes of walkable environments from the perspective of seniors in Montreal

The objective of this paper is to investigate the attributes of walkable environments from the perspective of seniors, using as a case study Montreal Island in Canada. The research is based on a combination of statistical analysis of travel diary data and field work to conduct walkability audits. The approach follows a sequence of logical steps. The first step involves the estimation of a model of travel behavior regarding walking by seniors. The results of this model, in combination with cluster analysis, are then used to identify sites where the model under-predicts walking (i.e. walking is more prevalent than predicted by the model) or over-predicts walking (i.e. walking is less prevalent than predicted by the model). Subsequently sites are targeted for field work involving walkability audits. By conducting these audits, it becomes possible to assess which attributes of the built environment are systematically present or absent in places where walking is more common or uncommon than other factors would predict. The case study of Montreal Island was conducted using a large-scale travel survey database and walkability audits of 403 street segments, more or less evenly divided among under (199) – and –over (204) predicted clusters. The audited items were summarized in contingency tables and tested with the chi–squared test of independence. The results of the analysis suggest that, other factors being equal, walking is more prevalent in street segments with marked cross–walks, horizontal and vertical mixtures in land uses, and low traffic volume. Other factors being equal, walking was less prevalent in segments with unmarked cross–walks, single residential and/or vacant land use, and high traffic volume.

• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB40 Landscape and Environmental Design.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Moniruzzaman, Md
  • Páez, Antonio
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
• Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Built environment; Case studies; Cluster analysis; Statistical analysis; Travel diaries; Travel surveys; Urban design; Walkability
• Geographic Terms: Montreal (Canada)
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01551677
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 15-0649
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 27 2015 11:23AM