Clustering pedestrians' perceptions towards road infrastructure and traffic characteristics

Area of Science:

• Urban Planning
• Transportation Engineering
• Environmental Psychology

Background:

• India faces over 25,000 annual pedestrian fatalities from road crashes.
• Existing research identifies causative factors but lacks insight into pedestrian environmental perception.
• Understanding pedestrian perception is crucial for enhancing road safety strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze pedestrian perception of the built and traffic environment on urban arterial and sub-arterial roads.
• To identify key factors influencing pedestrian satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
• To investigate demographic and travel behavior differences in pedestrian perception.

Main Methods:

• Factor analysis of 14 selected parameters assessing pedestrian perception.
• Two-step cluster analysis of factor scores based on socio-economic demographics and travel behavior.
• Descriptive analysis of respondent satisfaction levels.

Main Results:

• Respondents were most satisfied with streetlight quality and visibility/sight distances.
• Dissatisfaction was highest regarding pedestrian volume on sidewalks and lighting at crossings.
• Cluster analysis indicated female pedestrians walk less and perceive higher collision risks than males.

Conclusions:

• Pedestrian perception of urban road infrastructure varies significantly across demographic groups.
• Findings highlight specific areas for improvement, such as managing sidewalk volume and enhancing crossing safety.
• The study provides actionable insights for policymakers to improve pedestrian safety and infrastructure design.