434 / 2019-02-27 17:44:49

Modelling pedestrian preferences of crossing facilities from face-to-face interview

全体主题 > Urban Planning & Modeling

Most of the signalized intersections in Indian cities are provided with grade-separated pedestrian crossing facilities, but the use of the later is too less compared to at-grade crossing in many places. Pedestrian preferences are ignored, for which very few people use them for crossing and end up sharing same signal phase with motorized traffic. Existing literature have shown universally that at-level crossings are preferred over grade-separated crossings (Cantillo et al. 2015; Räsänen et al. 2007; Mfinanga, 2014). This study intended to develop the model for prediction of pedestrian choices of crossing facility and to find the significant factors influencing the pedestrian choices between at-grade signalized crossing and a pedestrian foot overbridge.
Two signal controlled intersections in Mumbai city, India, were selected for the study, where pedestrian foot overbridge exists along with at-level signalized crosswalk for the pedestrians to cross the street. Both the intersections had similar vehicular traffic flow and land use pattern. Both sites had countdown signal display with different cycle times. To conduct the pedestrian preference survey at the selected sites, a questionnaire form was prepared to obtain the respondents’ socio-economic information (gender, age, education level, occupation, etc.), current trip information (selected pedestrian crossing facility, walking trip purpose, accompaniment, frequency of visit to the location, primary mode of transport before/after crossing, etc.) and attitude towards the pedestrian crossing facilities.
Pedestrians were interviewed face-to-face using the questionnaire survey form near the selected sites during peak and off-peak hours and weekday as well as weekends. Overall 308 samples were collect-ed in the months of January-February 2018. The sample consisted of 60% signalized crossing users and 40% foot overbridge users. The pedestrian response to the maximum acceptable detour time was labelled as MADT which indicates that if foot overbridge takes more than the selected time range then the respondent would no longer select it. Statistical analysis was performed to find any association between the predictor variables and the choice made as well as among the predictor variables. Binary logit model was estimated to find the significant variables influencing the pedestrian choices of crossing facility. Day of the week, gender, primary mode of transport before/after walking and maximum acceptable detour time of the pedestrian were found to be the prime factors influencing the crossing facility choice behavior. It was observed that increase in maximum acceptable detour time of the pedestrian gradually reduces the aversion of foot over-bridge. Students and unemployed pedestrians are most likely to choose the foot overbridge. Men are found to be 13% more likely to use foot overbridge than women. It was observed that the probability of a pedestrian selecting foot overbridge during weekend is 13% high-er compared to any weekday. Pedestrians whose primary mode of transport before/after crossing is walk were 11% more likely to cross at-grade. It can be concluded that pedestrians’ perception of inconvenience is higher compared to the perceived time saving, safety and health benefits associated with the foot overbridge.