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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

STUDY ON THE STATE OF REST BEHAVIOR AT EXPRESSWAY REST AREAS

高速道路サービスエリアにおける休憩行動の様態に関する研究

People of all ages visit expressway rest areas. But in Japan, up to now, the focus was on quantity and not quality of rest areas. As for seniors and families with children, though easy-to-use rest rooms and pictogram signs are provided, no standards to make the entire rest area more convenient for them have been set. So to see what is needed, the authors have monitored rest-area behaviors of seniors and families with children. Behavior tracking was carried out at 3 rest areas with the following features: long average parking time for small vehicles on weekdays, high environmental assessment index, and where there are parks and open spaces. The locations were identified from traffic statistics taken by NEXCO to study the needed parking spaces at rest areas. The 3 rest areas were A , B and C in Shizuoka Prefecture.  The subjects were people aged 65 or older (seniors) and families with children aged one to six (families). The authors explained the purpose of the survey to subjects selected randomly at the rest area, got their consent and had them fill in a simple questionnaire. Then the authors let them do as they please and observed what they did. Rather than selecting the subjects beforehand and asking them to cooperate with the survey, this approach makes it possible to see their true behaviors. A fieldworker was assigned per subject and observed and recorded the subject's every move—what, where, route, duration — on a map and took photos. The subject was interviewed at the end. A total of 29 seniors and 57 families were monitored. Results were as follows: (1) Length of stay  1) Elderly - Usual rest-area behavior took about 25 min, which is about the average of rest areas. But 20 min of special rest-area behavior was observed at all 3 rest areas, extending stay.  2) Families - Usual rest-area behavior took about 30 min, which is about the average of rest areas. Special rest-area behavior took between 10 and 20 min at all 3 locations, extending stay.  (2) Special rest-area behavior 1) Elderly - At A, seniors enjoyed window shopping, sightseeing boats, and the view from the terrace. At B, they enjoyed window shopping, the bike exhibit, the view from the observatory, and chat at outdoor tables. At C, subjects walked their dog, strolled, widow shopped.  2) Families   At A, children played in the garden, enjoyed the view of the lake and parents took photos. At B, children played in the kids' play area in the food court. At C, families went to the terrace and the dog-run. Following points to be considered to better accommodate seniors and families were revealed through behavior-tracking.  For seniors and families, usual rest-area behaviors (restrooms, meals, shopping) took 25 to 30 min at all three locations.  ·Special rest-area behaviors that extend their stay differed per individual for both seniors and families.  ·Special rest-area behaviors, for the two groups at all 3 locations were resting in the outdoor gardens and window shopping.  In the gardens, they tended to spend time at places with a good view, or on patios where they could sit down. Families let their kids play in the garden and play area.  When comparing seniors and families, families stayed at rest areas longer because they needed to spend time for the kids. But the activities of the two groups did not differ much. In conclusion, the authors saw that a common approach could be taken to extending their stay.

Language

  • English
  • Japanese

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01644491
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
  • Files: TRIS, JSTAGE
  • Created Date: Aug 29 2017 10:08AM