Travel Behavior

A Review of ITS-Based Pedestrian Injury Countermeasures

Bechtel, Allyson K
Geyer, Judy
Ragland, David R
2003

Crashes between motor vehicles and pedestrians caused at least 4,882 deaths and about 78,000 injuries in 2001 in the United States. In recognition of these troubling statistics, many public and private institutions look to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies. Few resources are available to provide a comprehensive summary of the effectiveness of these options. This report reviews previous scientific evaluation of red light enforcement cameras, illuminated walk signal push buttons, automated pedestrian detection systems for traffic signals, flashing crosswalk lights,...

Space Syntax: The Role of Urban Form in Cyclist Route Choice in Central London

Raford, Noah
Chiaradia, Alain
Gil, Jorge
2007

This paper presents a new method for forecasting cyclist volume and route choice based on space syntax techniques for urban analysis. Space syntax has been shown to correlate strongly with pedestrian and vehicular trips in a number of international studies, but little research to date has focused on the role of urban form and street network design in cyclist route choice. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the distribution of cycling trips in the central London area, focusing on a sample of work-based commuting trips. A sample of 423 cyclists from 50 organizations was combined with...

A Database for Active Transportation Infrastructure and Volume

Proulx, Frank R.
Zhang, Yuanyuan, PhD
Grembek, Offer, PhD
2014

Information about pedestrian infrastructure and volume is indispensable to monitoring, evaluating, and improving the environment for comfortable and safe walking. However, determining and organizing the various types of data in a way that is easy to update and analyze can present challenges. This study designed and developed a relational database for pedestrian infrastructure and volume, and comprises two core components (node table and approach table) and several sub-components (tables for crosswalks, sidewalks, buffers, signs, transits, bikeways, bicycle parking, and volumes). Important...

Removing Barriers for Seniors at Transit Stops and Stations and the Potential for Transit Ridership Growth

Babka, Rhinna Jolris
Zheng, Joseph
Cooper, Jill
Ragland, David R.
2008

As the baby boomer generation ages there is an increased need for older adult sensitive transportation. Currently a small percentage of older adults utilize public transit; however, the utilization rates are likely to increase as the corresponding population of older adults increases. Older adults are a diverse population and it is likely that future generations of older adults will require a wider range of transit options.The current research addresses (i) barriers for older adults at transit stops and stations, and (ii) older adult public transit habits and attitudes. This discussion...

Assessing and Addressing the Mobility Needs of an Aging Population

Ragland, David R
MacLeod, Kara E
McMillan, Tracy
Doggett, Sarah
Felschundneff, Grace
2019

The mobility needs of an aging population is one of the most substantial challenges facing California in the coming decades. The number of residents age 65 and older is expected to double between 2012 and 2050, and the number age 85 and above is expected to increase by over 70% between 2010 and 2030. Declines in physical function related to age may reduce mobility options dramatically. A survey of 510 residents age 55 and older in Contra Costa County was conducted to determine mobility patterns and limitations related to age and other factors. Results of the survey indicate that a majority...

Addressing Inappropriate Driver Behavior at Rail-Highway Crossings

Cooper, Douglas L.
Ragland, David R
2008

Driver behavior at rail highway crossings has been the subject of numerous studies, most of which show that violations are relatively commonplace. The focus of this paper will be on those drivers who drive around fully descended gates. Drivers commonly misjudge the speed and distance of trains. They must make a decision about the time remaining before the train arrives based on sensory signals as well as non-sensory factors such as expectations and motivation. At a gated crossing, where drivers have been alerted to the imminent danger by lowered gates, there is more to be gained by...

Estimating Pedestrian Accident Exposure: Protocol Report

Greene-Roesel, Ryan
Diogenes, Mara Chagas
Ragland, David R
2007

Walking is a healthful, environmentally benign form of travel, and is the most basic form of human mobility. Walking trips account for more than 8 percent of all trips taken in California, making walking the second most commonly used mode of travel after the personal automobile (Caltrans, 2002). In addition, many trips made by vehicle or public transit begin and end with walking. In spite of the importance and benefits of walking, pedestrians suffer a disproportionate share of the harm of traffic incidents in California. As noted above, walking trips make up just 8 percent of all trips in...

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Evaluation for the City of Emeryville at Four Intersections

Johnson, Emily S.
Ragland, David R
Cooper, Jill F
O'Connor, Terri
2005

The City of Emeryville is small in area (1.2 square miles) and population (7,000), but it is one of the most regionally connected cities in the Bay Area (California). Emeryville is situated at the eastern end of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, contains the intersection of Interstate Highway 80 (I-80) with several regional and other interstate highways, and has extensive transportation access by Amtrak Rail, Alameda County (AC) Transit and heavy cargo facilities at the nearby Port of Oakland. The city has many large employers and several large shopping areas, and the daytime...

Prehospital Response Time and Traumatic Injury—A Review

Doggett, Sarah
Ragland, David R.
Felschundneff, Grace
2018

A significant proportion of fatalities from motor vehicle collisions (MVC) could be prevented through better emergency medical service (EMS) care. Despite a lack of conclusive research, there is a consensus that prehospital time (the time between the MVC and the patient’s arrival at the hospital) must be reduced as much as possible. Many studies use response time (the time between EMS dispatch and arrival at the scene) as an indicator of overall prehospital time and a metric of EMS performance. However, there are other components of prehospital time that may be equally important, including...

The Marked Crosswalk Dilemma: Uncovering Some Missing Links in a 35-Year Debate

Mitman, Meghan Fehlig
Ragland, David R.
Zegeer, Charles V.
2008

Largely in response to several landmark safety studies, as an official or unofficial policy, many agencies across the U.S. have elected to remove marked crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections, or have shown resistance to installing them in the first place. This approach results in unacceptable pedestrian mobility restrictions, yet such restrictions are often not considered in policy-making. As such, there is a need for roadway system owners to develop strategic safety guidelines to address the marked crosswalk dilemma. Since 2005, the UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center, in a study funded...