Exploration of Pedestrian Gap-Acceptance Behavior at Selected Locations

This paper describes the efforts to evaluate pedestrian gap acceptance as part of a recent TCRP-NCHRP project. Pedestrian crossing data were collected at 42 study sites in seven states. From those sites, 45 pedestrian approaches had at least one crossing event where a pedestrian rejected at least one gap, and 11 of those approaches had at least 20 such crossing events. Focusing on the 11 approaches, researchers evaluated the gap-acceptance behavior of crossing pedestrians with a two-part analysis: behavioral analysis and statistical analysis. Behavioral analysis revealed that pedestrians did not always wait to cross the street when all lanes were completely clear; instead, they anticipated that the lanes would clear as they crossed and used a “rolling gap” to cross the street. Statistical analysis revealed that the 11 approaches had 85th percentile accepted gaps between 5.3 and 9.4 s, with a trend of increasing gap length as crossing distance increased. All the observed 85th percentile accepted gaps were less than the critical gap as defined in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" for a walking speed of 3.5 ft/s (1.1 m/s) at their respective sites; this indicates that if 3.5 ft/s (1.1 m/s) were used as the design criterion, it would be sufficient to serve at least 85% of the observed pedestrians at the study sites.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/1982-18
• 
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Exploration+of+Pedestrian+Gap-Acceptance+Behavior+at+Selected+Locations&author=M.+Brewer&author=K.+Fitzpatrick&author=J.+Whitacre&author=D.+Lord&publication_year=2006
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309099927
• Authors:
  • Brewer, Marcus A
  • Fitzpatrick, Kay
  • Whitacre, Jeffrey Alan
  • Lord, Dominique
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 132-140
• Monograph Title: Pedestrians and Bicycles
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 1982
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Data collection; Field studies; Gap acceptance; Pedestrian movement; Pedestrians; Statistical analysis
• Identifier Terms: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• Uncontrolled Terms: Walking speed
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01024943
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309099927
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: May 31 2006 7:55AM