THE IMPACT OF TRAFFIC ON PEDESTRIAN BEHAVIOUR. 1. MEASURING THE TRAFFIC BARRIER

This is the first of two linked papers which discuss the effects of traffic barriers on pedestrians. It considers problems arising from attempts to define and measure traffic barriers, and reviews the available measures and methods and their applicability. The authors first give a more comprehensive definition of 'traffic barrier'. They point out that traffic barrier effects on pedestrian movements have not usually been modelled, and generally ignore them. To be useful, a traffic barrier measure must be: (1) easy and inexpensive to measure; (2) measurable over well-defined sections of road; (3) measurable for different age groups of pedestrians; and (4) able to allow for suppressed as well as realised demand for road crossing. The following available measures are assessed against these criteria and discussed: (1) average pedestrian delay in crossing; (2) a 'crossing index', based on gap distributions in the traffic flow; and (3) a crossing ratio, the number of pedestrians crossing a road as a proportion of the pedestrian flow, over a given section or at a specific point. The paper briefly discusses: (1) perception surveys, to determine the importance of perceptions in determining barrier effects; and (2) in-depth interviews.

Language

  • English

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00723140
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD, ATRI
  • Created Date: Jul 26 1996 12:00AM