Roadside walking environments and major factors affecting pedestrian level of service

Abstract

This paper provides study results of the pedestrian level of service (LOS) within the roadside walking environments. The comfort needs of pedestrians and the multimodal LOS are the main issues of the study. The approach applied in the research includes a literature review, a pedestrian intercept survey, and a multiple regression analysis. Major findings include: (1) current measure of effectiveness for determining pedestrian LOS in the Korean Highway Capacity Manual should be replaced with a more realistic measure of effectiveness, such as the level of pedestrian satisfaction, (2) pedestrian perception within roadside walking environments was successfully captured in a model developed in this study, and (3) the impact of adding automobile-related variables to explanatory variables was statistically significant. Cross-section design elements affecting the perception of pedestrian LOS were also identified. It is hoped that this research will provide an increased understanding for pedestrian-friendly strategies in urban arterial designs.