EVALUATION OF PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES: BEYOND THE LEVEL-OF-SERVICE CONCEPT
For designing and evaluating pedestrian facilities, the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) provides guidelines similar to those for vehicular flow, using the concept of level of service. It also recommends that additional environmental factors that contribute to the walking experience and therefore to the perceived level of service, such as comfort, convenience, safety, security, and attractiveness, also be considered. However, no guidelines are given on how to measure or use these environmental factors for designing and assessing pedestrian facilities. There is no question that environmental factors are of paramount importance for designing and assessing such facilities, because pedestrians, unlike motor vehicles, have practically no control over most of these factors. A practical method of assessing pedestrian facilities is described that takes into account several environmental factors observed by independent groups who are familiar with the situation being assessed. Assessment of the environmental factors is accomplished through suitable performance measures, and these in turn provide the operating characteristics and the qualitative level of service of the facility being assessed as perceived by its users. This qualitative level of service can then supplement the quantitative level of service of the facility on the basis of flow, speed, and density units, as described in the HCM. The methodology described can be most useful in monitoring and comparing the performance of such facilities as well as in allocating the budget for changes and improvements. A practical application of the methodology is described using seven performance measures: attractiveness, comfort, convenience, safety, security, system coherence, and system continuity. The methodology is quick, easy, and inexpensive to use.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309055199
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1438, Research Issues on Bicycling, Pedestrians, and Older Drivers. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Khisty, C Jotin
- Publication Date: 1994
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 45-50
- Monograph Title: RESEARCH ISSUES ON BICYCLING, PEDESTRIANS, AND OLDER DRIVERS
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record
- Issue Number: 1438
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Comfort; Consumer preferences; Design; Environmental impacts; Environmental quality; Guidelines; Level of service; Mode choice; Monitoring; Pedestrian areas; Pedestrian safety; Performance; Security; Structural design; Travel demand; Walking
- Identifier Terms: Highway Capacity Manual
- Uncontrolled Terms: Convenience; Fund allocations
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00668957
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 0309055199
- Report/Paper Numbers: HS-042 011
- Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Nov 9 1994 12:00AM