Field Observations of Factors Influencing Walking Speeds Kirsten Finnis and Darren Walton Opus...
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Transcript of Field Observations of Factors Influencing Walking Speeds Kirsten Finnis and Darren Walton Opus...
Field Observations of Factors Influencing Walking Speeds
Kirsten Finnis and Darren Walton
Opus Central labs
Email: [email protected]
Overview
1. Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?
2. Method
3. Results
4. Implications
Walking Speed Facts
The average walking speed is approx 80m/min
Males walk approx 5m/min faster
Pedestrians over the age of 65 walk about 10m/min slower
Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?
1. Knowing pedestrian time budgets is essential when planning the placement of transit facilities
2. People adapt their travel behaviour to a “travel time budget” The average walking speed is approximately 80m/min Typical person allows 1hour travel per day (Marchetti, 1994) Typical walker allows
• 10min walk to transit facilities• 30min walk to destination (Newman & Kenworthy, 2006)
Preference for highly permeable environment to allow direct routes
3. Pace of life Cities with larger populations typically have faster walking speeds
(Bornstein & Bornstein, 1976)
Factors influencing walking speed
Personal characteristics• Walking for purpose (e.g. commute)
• Walking with children
• Shoe type
• Interacting with the environment
• Cell phone
• Listening to music
• Age
• Gender
• Baggage
Environmental characteristics• Gradient
Method: Measuring walking speed
• 13 walking sites selected to differ by:
• Geographic location• Auckland, Wellington,
Palmerston North, Levin
• Gradient• Commuter flow traffic• Variety of pedestrians
• Measured walking speed on video
• Time taken to travel 5m
Key findings
• There is no simple relationship between city population and walking speed
• New Zealanders are faster walkers than overseas sites
• Counterintuitive finding that walking speeds were faster uphill compared with walking on flat surfaces
• People in Levin and Palmerston North walk faster than those in Auckland….why?
Conclusions
• The key to it all is to ask ‘who walks?’
• Are walking speeds are an indicator of “walkability”?
• A key measure of performance/LOS can be the alignment of observed mean walking speed with the mean walking speed of the general population
What would happen to
observed walking speeds if
Segways were widespread?