EVALUATION OF PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES: BEYOND THE LEVEL-OF-SERVICE CONCEPT

Abstract

For designing and evaluating pedestrian facilities, the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) provides guidelines similar to those for vehicular flow, using the concept of level of service. It also recommends that additional environmental factors that contribute to the walking experience and therefore to the perceived level of service, such as comfort, convenience, safety, security, and attractiveness, also be considered. However, no guidelines are given on how to measure or use these environmental factors for designing and assessing pedestrian facilities. There is no question that environmental factors are of paramount importance for designing and assessing such facilities, because pedestrians, unlike motor vehicles, have practically no control over most of these factors. A practical method of assessing pedestrian facilities is described that takes into account several environmental factors observed by independent groups who are familiar with the situation being assessed. Assessment of the environmental factors is accomplished through suitable performance measures, and these in turn provide the operating characteristics and the qualitative level of service of the facility being assessed as perceived by its users. This qualitative level of service can then supplement the quantitative level of service of the facility on the basis of flow, speed, and density units, as described in the HCM. The methodology described can be most useful in monitoring and comparing the performance of such facilities as well as in allocating the budget for changes and improvements. A practical application of the methodology is described using seven performance measures: attractiveness, comfort, convenience, safety, security, system coherence, and system continuity. The methodology is quick, easy, and inexpensive to use.

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