Theoretical Framework for Modeling Pedestrians’ Crossing Behavior along a Trip
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 10
Abstract
Explaining pedestrians’ crossing behavior along entire trips may contribute toward more efficient and targeted planning of pedestrian facilities in urban areas and more accurate consideration of pedestrian safety. Although existing research on pedestrians’ crossing behavior is extensive, most related studies examine pedestrians’ crossing decisions at local level and focus on a particular set of determinants (roadway environment, traffic conditions, or human factors). On the contrary, crossing behavior along entire trips is seldom explored. This paper presents a theoretical framework for modeling pedestrians’ crossing behavior along a trip, addressing a large part of the difficulties involved in collecting the necessary data and setting up a modeling framework. First, a topological approach of pedestrian trip characteristics and crossing decisions is proposed, allowing consideration of distinct patterns of crossing behavior along a trip. Moreover, specific techniques from the family of discrete choice models are proposed for determining the number and location of pedestrians’ crossings, accounting for the hierarchical and dynamic nature of pedestrians’ decisions along a trip. Finally, a field survey method is presented, allowing collection of detailed information about pedestrians’ crossing decisions along urban trips, including data on roadway, traffic, and individual characteristics, as well as the interactions between pedestrians and motorists. Preliminary results from a pilot implementation of the proposed framework are promising, and a full-scale application for testing and validation is in progress.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 10 • October 2010
Pages: 914 - 924
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 16, 2009
Accepted: Mar 18, 2010
Published online: Apr 14, 2010
Published in print: Oct 2010
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