PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL CHARACTERISTICS

A SURVEY OF PEDESTRIAN TRIPS WAS CONDUCTED IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND SUPPLEMENTED BY DATA FROM THE NATIONWIDE PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS FOR THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE WASHINGTON SURVEY WAS TO ANALYZE DATA ON WALKING TRIP LENGTHS AS A FUNCTION OF AGE, SEX, TRIP PURPOSE, AND DAY OF WEEK FOR USE IN TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY PLANNING. THE NATIONWIDE PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY PROVIDED SUPPLEMENTAL DATA ON WALKING TO WORK. RESULTS OF THE WASHINGTON SURVEY SHOW THAT 90 PERCENT OF THE WALKING TRIPS WERE LESS THAN 1 MILE. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MAXIMUM DISTANCE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT WALKING TO COMMUNITY SERVICES. THE MEDIAN WALKING TRIP LENGTH WAS 1,600 FT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIRABLE DISTANCE IN WHICH TO PROVIDE FREQUENTLY VISITED SERVICES SUCH AS CONVENIENCE SHOPPING OR RECREATION FACILITIES. MEN GENERALLY MADE LONGER WALKING TRIPS THAN WOMEN. THERE WERE DIFFERENCES IN TRIP LENGTH DISTRIBUTIONS BY AGE GROUP, BUT THE TREND WAS NOT CLEAR. TRIP LENGTHS WERE THE LONGEST FOR THE TRIP TO WORK. THE NATIONWIDE PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY SHOWED SHORTER TRIP LENGTHS THAN THE WASHINGTON SURVEY FOR THE WORK TRIP, WITH ALMOST 71 PERCENT LESS THAN 1/2 MILE. NATIONWIDE, 5 PERCENT OF THE WORKING POPULATION REPORTED WALKING AS THE USUAL METHOD OF GETTING FROM HOME TO WORK. THERE WAS A HIGHER PROPORTION OF PERSONS WITH INCOMES UNDER $4,000 WALKING TO WORK THAN IN THOSE INCOME GROUPS OVER $10,000. THE YOUNGEST AND OLDEST WORKING AGE GROUPS REPORTED HIGHER-THAN-AVERAGE WALKING TO WORK. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/hrr/1972/406/406-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Pedestrians. 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
• Authors:
  • Maring, Gary E
• Conference:
  • 51st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1972-1-17 to 1972-1-21
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 14-20
• Monograph Title: Pedestrian protection
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 406
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Distance; Gender; Pedestrians; Trip purpose; Walkways
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224018
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 23 1973 12:00AM