Automated Sidewalk Quality and Safety Assessment System (Regional University Transportation Center Subproject)

Sidewalks are often unsafe, exposing pedestrians, wheelchair users, travelers with strollers, and persons carrying heavy loads to unnecessary risk. However, prioritizing sidewalk repairs and improvements requires knowledge about the current system state. The Automated Sidewalk Quality and Safety Assessment System developed in this project can help communities evaluate the condition of sidewalks and pathways based on sidewalk existence, condition, and conformance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. In consultation with local transportation planners and public interest groups, the team calibrated the system to assess sidewalk characteristics and developed an initial sidewalk quality index (SQI). The team then developed a weighted ranking system to prioritize pedestrian projects by coupling app-derived ADA compliance data with pedestrian safety indicators (crash rates), land use, and demographic data (pedestrian activity). The researchers collected and analyzed sidewalk data for 1,352 miles of sidewalks within the City of Atlanta and used the system to derive block-level pedestrian potential and deficiency indicators to prioritize planning investments within a subarea of Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia. The results of the rank-order prioritization analyses indicate that blocks near rail stations and high-density land uses should be prioritized for investment. The system developed in this project can help communities evaluate sidewalk condition, ADA compatibility, and help agencies use the data in prioritizing pedestrian infrastructure repairs and improvements. Further refinements will extend the application of the methods to larger geographic scales and to incorporate repair costs into the prioritization framework.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Edition: Final Report
  • Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 163p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01590455
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-GA-15-1216, 12-16, STRIDE Project Number: #2012-067S
  • Contract Numbers: 0011746
  • Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
  • Created Date: Feb 18 2016 9:26AM