User-conscious pedestrian routing
Date
2023
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Contemporary routing applications for pedestrians only consider the presence of a sidewalk and do not consider its as-built or current conditions. When planning a trip, travelers may rely on critical details such as compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This research recontextualizes the problem to incorporate the relationship between travelers and the environment. The following research questions are considered: • 1. How does literature determine current methodologies to be insufficient? Which additional attributes need to be examined? • 2. How do current evaluation methods limit the effectiveness of the proposed route? How can traveler comprehension be improved? • 3. How can qualitative impacts be compared with route length? How are temporary conditions and localized hazards considered? ☐ Decision making across a network is influenced by a combination of facility characteristics and user preferences. These contribute to mobility (presence of a path), accessibility (physical ability to traverse the route), and favorability (enjoyment when following the route). Mobility is determined by the inventory of pedestrian facilities. Accessibility was determined according to ADA requirements identified from the literature (clear width, grade, cross slope, surface). Favorability was objectified by studying suitability measures for pedestrian travel (comfort, reliability, security). ☐ Current data collection efforts are technical and are conducted by communities as part of their asset management process. Measurements are quantitative and findings are not communicated to the public. The need for specialized knowledge limits both the accuracy (timeliness) and relevancy (relatability) of the survey. This was remediated by including characteristics important to the traveler. Conditions such as lighting or mode separation were categorized for increased comprehension. ☐ Travel costs are assessed through length penalties. These are separated into impedance, accessibility, and hazard parameters. Hazards permit the framework to indicate localized conditions that are not reflective of the entire path. ☐ Case studies highlight the significance of detail-oriented routing methodologies by comparing deviations between an accessible route and an unrestricted baseline. Realistic scenarios were created by adapting sidewalk information from a state-maintained database, while conditions were updated according to personal observations.
Description
Keywords
Americans with Disabilities Act, Mobility, Pedestrian facilities, Hazard parameters, Asset management process