ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered people's travel behavior, in particular outdoor activities, including walking. Their behavior changes may have prolonged effects after the pandemic, and such changes vary by the context and are related to the characteristics of the built environment. But empirical studies about the relationships between pedestrians and the built environment during the pandemic are lacking. This study explores how COVID-19 and related travel restrictions have affected the relationship between pedestrian traffic volume and the built environment. We estimate daily pedestrian volumes for all signalized intersections in Salt Lake County, Utah, U.S.A., from pedestrian push-button log data between January 2019 and October 2020. Multilevel spatial filtering models show that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the relationship between pedestrian traffic volume and the built environment. During the pandemic, the higher the number of COVID-19 cases, the less (or more negative) the effects of density, street connectivity, and destination accessibility on pedestrian volume being observed. The exception is access to urban parks, as it became more significant in increasing pedestrian activities during the pandemic. The models also highlight the negative impacts of the pandemic in economically disadvantaged areas. Our findings could help urban and transportation planners find effective interventions to promote active transportation and physical activity amid the global pandemic.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that contribute to near-miss collisions between pedestrians and personal transportation devices (PTDs) in a university campus using a novel data collection method, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3,349 pedestrians and 173 PTD riders were detected through UAV observations. METHODS: The researchers employed UAV technology to capture and geocode the interactions and behavior of pedestrians and PTD riders. Then, a multilevel logistic regression model examined factors that contribute to near-miss collisions between pedestrians and PTDs. RESULTS: The model outputs indicate that higher speed, non-bicycle PTDs (eg, skateboard and scooter), and some preventive actions, like reducing speed, deviating, and weaving, increase the probability of a PTD rider getting involved in a near-miss collision. CONCLUSIONS: Findings can guide campus planners to redesign the streets as a safe environment for all transportation modes and implement appropriate regulations and education programs, especially for non-bicycle PTD riders.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic response has had a significant impact on the general population's ability to participate in their communities. Individuals with disabilities, an already socially disadvantaged population, are more vulnerable to and have likely been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 response conditions. Yet, the extent to which the daily community living activities of people with disabilities have been impacted is unknown. Thus, this study assesses their travel behavior and community living during the COVID-19 pandemic conditions compared with those of the general population. A web survey was conducted using Qualtrics's online panel data (respondents included 161 people with any type of disability and 232 people without a disability). Regression models found that people with disabilities reduced their daily travel to a greater extent but at varying degrees, depending on the destination types and travel modes. Reductions in taxi rides (including ride-hailing services) were most significant among people with cognitive and sensory (e.g., vision and hearing) disabilities. By place type, cognitive disability was associated with a trip reduction for multiple destination types-grocery, restaurants, outdoor recreation, indoor recreation, and healthcare providers. Findings from this study could contribute to decision- and policy-making in planning, transportation, and community services during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic, in future major public health crises, and post-COVID, because the adjustments in travel behavior and community living might be longer-term.
ABSTRACT
Urban design literature says that public open space in a station area could promote walking and other types of physical activity, enhance place attractiveness, and increase property values. In the context of station areas, however, there is a lack of empirical studies on the relationship between the presence of parks and sustainable travel behavior, which is one of the primary goals of transit-oriented developments (TODs). This study examined the impact of park provision on transit users' mode choice in three U.S. regions: Atlanta (GA), Boston (MA), and Portland (OR). This study utilized multilevel multinomial logistic regression to account for hierarchical data structures-trips nested within station areas-and multiple travel modes-automobiles, transit, and walking. After controlling for the built environment and trip attributes, this study showed that when there was a park, people were more likely to walk or take transit to access or egress a transit station. A transit station having a park nearby may provide a more pleasant first-mile/last-mile travel experience. This paper demonstrated that station areas need to incorporate more public space, an overlooked element in current TOD plans.
