America Walks

Assessing the Path of Travel:

Considerations and Effects on Older Adults

and Persons with Cognitive Disabilities

Important Considerations when Assessing the Path of Travel

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Rural Pedestrian Considerations

• Choosing a safe place to walk

• Limited visibility of traffic

• Lack of crosswalks

• Distance between crossing points can be longer

• Corners generally have a wider radius

• Vehicle speeds on rural roads are typically higher

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Urban Pedestrian Considerations

• Passable sidewalks

• Curb ramps

• Signalization at intersections

• Complex intersection design

• Crowding

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Cross-Cutting Pedestrian Considerations

• Lighting for travel at dawn and dusk

• Terrain (hilly or flat?)

• Adequate shelters and/or seating at stops or stations

• Availability of identifiable landmarks

• Opportunities to ask for help

• Navigating in and around parking lots

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Effects on Older Adults and Persons with Cognitive Disabilities

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Older Adults

• Can have multiple conditions/disabilities

• Conditions that may keep an older adult from outdoor

activities:– Badly maintained or no paved path– Lack of benches for resting– Heavy traffic– Lack of adequate time for street crossing

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Persons with Cognitive Disabilities

• Many, many types of cognitive disabilities

• Functional ability of persons with cognitive disabilities

can vary widely

• Ways in which the ability of a person with a cognitive

disability may be affected when navigating a path of

travel– Problem solving skills– Reading, linguistic and/or verbal comprehension– Visual comprehension

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Wayfinding

Process used by people for navigating and moving in

the community

Rely on signage, maps, landmarks

Distinct pathways

Lighting and sound • Traffic noise? Or lack of?

Marked pedestrian crossing

Audible signals

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Path of Travel Assessment Checklist

• Section 1: Going to the stop/station/pick-up point

• Section 2: At the stop/pick-up point (for buses)

• Section 3: On the vehicle (fixed-route buses)

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Path of Travel

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Path of Travel

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Path of Travel

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Path of Travel Assessment Checklist (cont.)

• Section 4: Considerations for demand response/paratransit systems

• Section 5: At the rail stop/station

• Section 6: On the rail vehicle

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In Summary

• Why do we assess a path of travel?

• Name 2 ways an inaccessible path of travel may affect an older adult.

• Name 2 ways an inaccessible path of travel may affect a person with a cognitive disability.

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Thank You!

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