Pedestrian safety indicators study

Abstract

Pedestrian mobility can be considered an important feature in a new model of town organization, being suitable for the newly urbanized areas as well as the old quarters and the outskirts, places where streets and squares, once devised for a pedestrian based mobility, were eventually overcame by an ever increasing motorized traffic. Enhancing pedestrian mobility could bring new life and activities into the old and historic parts of the town reviving their original identities. The last decade’s increase in the recourse to private cars requires improvements in pedestrian mobility quality. This can be achieved by building new infrastructures, limiting the use of private cars, improving public transport and planning fully accessible parking areas. The planning of new quarters is often performed considering a wide use of private cars, thus resulting in urban highways and long and winding local roads hindering pedestrian mobility and safety. Location and layout of pedestrian crossings are the main issues in safety, requiring a set of indicators to model pedestrian behaviours and to assess route quality and safety. Town social features and mobility purpose, related to pedestrian age, are important elements to define the Pedestrian Safety Indicators. Using a GIS software, an evaluation of risk was carried out along main urban roads in order to study and develop measures to reduce casualties involving pedestrians, taking into account the sidewalk levels of service and other factors that may interfere with pedestrian safety. The aim of this research is to provide useful guidelines to recognize and analyze critical conditions and proper solutions for pedestrian safety in an urban environment.