Estimating the effectiveness of marked sidewalks: An application of the spatial causality approach.

Various safety enhancements and policies have been proposed to enhance pedestrian safety and minimize vehicle-pedestrian accidents. A relatively recent approach involves marked sidewalks delineated by painted pathways, particularly in Asia's crowded urban centers, offering a cost-effective and space-efficient alternative to traditional paved sidewalks. While this measure has garnered interest, few studies have rigorously evaluated its effectiveness. Current before-after studies often use correlation-based approaches like regression, lacking effective consideration of causal relationships and confounding variables. Moreover, spatial heterogeneity in crash data is frequently overlooked during causal inference analyses, potentially leading to inaccurate estimations. This study introduces a geographically weighted difference-in-difference (GWDID) method to address these gaps and estimate the safety impact of marked sidewalks. This approach considers spatial heterogeneity within the dataset in the spatial causal inference framework, providing a more nuanced understanding of the intervention's effects. The simplicity of the modeling process makes it applicable to various study designs relying solely on pre- and post-exposure outcome measurements. Conventional DIDs and Spatial Lag-DID models were used for comparison. The dataset we utilized included a total of 13,641 pedestrian crashes across Taipei City, Taiwan. Then the crash point data was transformed into continuous probability values to determine the crash risk on each road segment using network kernel density estimation (NKDE). The treatment group comprised 1,407 road segments with marked sidewalks, while the control group comprised 3,097 segments with similar road widths. The pre-development program period was in 2017, and the post-development period was in 2020. Results showed that the GWDID model outperformed the spatial lag DID and traditional DID models. As a local causality model, it illustrated spatial heterogeneity in installing marked sidewalks. The program significantly reduced pedestrian crash risk in 43% of the total road segments in the treatment group. The coefficient distribution map revealed a range from -22.327 to 2.600, with over 95% of the area yielding negative values, indicating reduced crash risk after installing marked sidewalks. Notably, the impact of crash risk reduction increased from rural to urban areas, emphasizing the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity in transportation safety policy assessments.

Micro-scale pedestrian streetscapes and physical activity in Hispanic/Latino adults: Results from HCHS/SOL.

We examined associations of micro-scale environment attributes (e.g., sidewalks, street crossings) with three physical activity (PA) measures among Hispanic/Latino adults (n = 1776) living in San Diego County, CA. Systematic observation was used to quantify micro-scale environment attributes near each participant's home. Total PA was assessed with accelerometers, and PA for transportation and recreation were assessed by validated self-report. Although several statistically significant interactions between individual and neighborhood characteristics were identified, there was little evidence micro-scale attributes were related to PA. An important limitation was restricted environmental variability for this sample which lived in a small area of a single county.

Socioeconomic and racial disparities of sidewalk quality in a traditional rust belt city.

Neighborhood walkability is key to promoting health, accessibility, and pedestrian safety. The Accessible, Connected Communities Encouraging Safe Sidewalks (ACCESS) project was developed to assess sidewalks throughout an urban community in Pontiac, Michigan. Data were collected from 2016 to 2018 along eighty miles of sidewalk for tripping hazards, cracking, vegetation, obstructions, overhead coverage, street lighting, buffers, and crosswalks. Data were mapped in ArcGIS with sociodemographic characteristics by U.S. Census block group. The majority of sidewalks had moderate (57.6%) or major (29.4%) sidewalk quality issues, especially maintenance-related impediments (68.6%) and inadequate street lighting or shade coverage (87.2%). The majority of crosswalks had a curb ramp to improve access for people with disabilities (84.4%), however over half lacked a detectable warning strip (55.8%). Degraded sidewalk quality was associated with lower neighborhood socioeconomic status and a higher proportion of Black and Latinx residents. Equity-centered pedestrian infrastructure improvement plans can address these disparities by increasing accessible, safe active transport options that promote physical activity and reduce health disparities. Evaluations like ACCESS can connect public health professionals with municipal planners to advance Complete Streets plans and promote healthy living.

What predicts how safe people feel in their neighborhoods and does it depend on functional status?

Feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood is related to poor health. Features of the neighborhood environment have been suggested to inform perceptions of neighborhood safety. Yet, the relative contribution of these features (e.g., uneven sidewalks, crime, perceived neighborhood physical disorder) on perceived neighborhood safety, particularly among people with disabilities who may view themselves as more vulnerable, is not well understood. We examined whether sidewalk quality assessed by third party raters, county-level crime rates, and perceived neighborhood disorder would relate to neighborhood safety concerns, and whether functional limitations would exacerbate these links. Using data from the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 10,653, mean age = 66 years), a national sample of older US adults, we demonstrate that those with and without functional limitations felt less safe in areas with more crime and perceived as more disordered. When considered simultaneously, however, only perceived disorder statistically significantly predicted safety concerns. Living in neighborhoods with better sidewalk quality was statistically significantly related to feeling less safe, but only among those with functional limitations. Sidewalk quality was not statistically significantly related to safety reports among those without functional limitations. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine multiple features of the neighborhood environment simultaneously in relation to perceived neighborhood safety. Our findings highlight the relative importance of perceived physical disorder, and that these perceptions relate to safety concerns. Replication of this research is needed to determine the robustness of these patterns, including rich data on pedestrian use and sidewalk proximity to roadways. Community-level interventions that simultaneously target the multifaceted features of the neighborhood environment that shape people's safety reports may be needed to reduce burden of health.

Developing Sidewalk Inventory Data Using Street View Images.

(1) Background: Public sidewalk GIS data are essential for smart city development. We developed an automated street-level sidewalk detection method with image-processing Google Street View data. (2) Methods: Street view images were processed to produce graph-based segmentations. Image segment regions were manually labeled and a random forest classifier was established. We used multiple aggregation steps to determine street-level sidewalk presence. (3) Results: In total, 2438 GSV street images and 78,255 segmented image regions were examined. The image-level sidewalk classifier had an 87% accuracy rate. The street-level sidewalk classifier performed with nearly 95% accuracy in most streets in the study area. (4) Conclusions: Highly accurate street-level sidewalk GIS data can be successfully developed using street view images.

Neighborhood Sidewalk Environment and Incidence of Dementia in Older Japanese Adults.

Sidewalks are indispensable environmental resources for daily life in that they encourage physical activity. However, the proportion of sidewalk coverage is low even in developed countries. We examined the association between neighborhood sidewalk environment and dementia in Japan. We conducted a 3-year follow-up (2010-2013) among participants in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a population-based cohort study of community-dwelling older adults. We ascertained the incidence of dementia for 76,053 participants from the public long-term care insurance system. We calculated sidewalk coverage (sidewalk area as a percentage of road area) within 436 residential neighborhood units using geographic information systems. Multilevel survival models were used to estimate hazard ratios for the incidence of dementia. During follow-up, 5,310 dementia cases were found. In urban areas, compared with the lowest quartile of sidewalk coverage, the hazard ratio was 0.42 (95% confidence interval: 0.33, 0.54) for the highest quartile, adjusting for individual covariates. After successive adjustments for other neighborhood factors (land slope; numbers of hospitals, grocery stores, parks, railway stations, and bus stops; educational level; and unemployment rate), the hazard ratio remained statistically significant (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.92). Living in a neighborhood with a high level of sidewalk installation was associated with low dementia incidence in urban areas.

Neighborhood Participation Is Less Likely among Older Adults with Sidewalk Problems.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study examines the association between perceived sidewalk conditions and neighborhood participation among older adults in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Methods: Between 2013-2016, 14,233 REGARDS participants completed a second in-home visit. Using logistic regression, we cross-sectionally examined if perceived severity of sidewalk problems was associated with going into the neighborhood less than once compared to 1-7 times per week. Results: The analytic sample included participants (N = 9863) with nonmissing data. The likelihood of going into the neighborhood less than one time per week was greater among participants who reported minor (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.33), somewhat serious (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.70), and very serious (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.38, 1.98) sidewalk problems in their neighborhood compared to those reporting no sidewalk problems, independent of demographic, socioeconomic, and impairment characteristics. Discussion: Perceived sidewalk problems appear to deter neighborhood participation among older adults.

A survey of deployment of sidewalks in central urban areas of 12 cities, China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the deployment of sidewalks and the possible relationship with local GDP,population density and prosperity of streets in 12 cities selected in China.Methods For all the streets in 333 blocks of 12 cities surveyed (Beijing,Tianjin,Shanghai,Qingdao,Hangzhou,Shaoxing,Suzhou,Nantong,Zhenjiang,Chengdu,Xining and Harbin),the deployment and management of sidewalks were observed.And we collected the GDP data of the 12 cities,the population data of 333 blocks,and the numbers of stores and restaurants along the streets.Results A total of 4 255 streets were included in the study.In the 12 cities,71.1％ of the streets had sidewalks.The deployment rates of sidewalks was high in Qingdao (91.9％) and Harbin (90.6％),and low in Suzhou (48.6％) and Shaoxing (52.6％),the differences were significant.The higher GDP of city was,the more sidewalks were deployed.But on the other hand there were more parking cars and obstacles on the sidewalks.The higher the population density was,the worse the condition of sidewalks was.Conclusions The survey of sidewalks in the 12 cities indicated that efforts could be made to improve the condition of sidewalks.Attention should be paid not only to the deployment of sidewalks,but also the management of sidewalks.Reasonable deployment of sidewalks should be considered according to the local population density and traffic flow.

A survey of deployment of sidewalks in central urban areas of 12 cities, China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the deployment of sidewalks and the possible relationship with local GDP,population density and prosperity of streets in 12 cities selected in China.Methods For all the streets in 333 blocks of 12 cities surveyed (Beijing,Tianjin,Shanghai,Qingdao,Hangzhou,Shaoxing,Suzhou,Nantong,Zhenjiang,Chengdu,Xining and Harbin),the deployment and management of sidewalks were observed.And we collected the GDP data of the 12 cities,the population data of 333 blocks,and the numbers of stores and restaurants along the streets.Results A total of 4 255 streets were included in the study.In the 12 cities,71.1％ of the streets had sidewalks.The deployment rates of sidewalks was high in Qingdao (91.9％) and Harbin (90.6％),and low in Suzhou (48.6％) and Shaoxing (52.6％),the differences were significant.The higher GDP of city was,the more sidewalks were deployed.But on the other hand there were more parking cars and obstacles on the sidewalks.The higher the population density was,the worse the condition of sidewalks was.Conclusions The survey of sidewalks in the 12 cities indicated that efforts could be made to improve the condition of sidewalks.Attention should be paid not only to the deployment of sidewalks,but also the management of sidewalks.Reasonable deployment of sidewalks should be considered according to the local population density and traffic flow.

Deslocamento de deficientes visuais em vias públicas da região metropolitana de Belém/PA / Mobility of visually impaired people in streets of the metropolitan region of Belém/PA

Introdução: Em uma estrutura urbana, o sistema de deslocamento é o articulador das atividades econômicas, culturais e sociais. Porém,alguns gestores deixam de construir em seus municípios uma infraestrutura de transporte adequada para a circulação de pedestres,em especial de portadores de necessidades especiais (PNE). Objetivo: Levando-se em consideração a dificuldade de acessibilidade existente na mobilidade urbana desses indivíduos e a condição real das calçadas na maioria das cidades brasileiras, faz-se necessário obter informações sobre possíveis alterações que o piso possa provocar no sistema locomotor durante a marcha. Material e métodos: Foram coletados dados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas (questionários de opinião) a 54 deficientes visuais a fim de verificar o grau de satisfação com as calçadas de Belém e com a utilização do piso com sinalização tátil de alerta e tátil direcional da Prefeitura Municipal de Belém. Resultados: Foi encontrado, entre outros resultados, que a maior parte dos investigados sente alguma dificuldade em se deslocar pelas calçadas da cidade e a significativa minoria considera ruim o deslocamento na calçada cidadã. Conclusão: Pode-se concluir que a dificuldade de deslocamento pelas calçadas da Região Metropolitana de Belém afeta enormemente aos deficientes visuais.

Introduction: In an urban structure, the transportation system isthe articulation of economic, cultural and social activities. However,some managers fail to build in their towns an adequate transportation infrastructure for pedestrian’s circulation, especially people with special needs (PSN). Objective: Taking into account the difficulty of existing accessibility in the urban locomotion of these individuals and the actual condition of sidewalks in most Brazilian cities, it is need to obtain information about possible injuries that pavement may cause in the locomotor system during gait. Method: Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The questionnaires were distributed to 54 visually impaired PSN, to verify the level of satisfaction with the sidewalks of Belém and with the tactile warning and tactile directional signage of local government of Belém. Results: The results show that most of the interviewees have some kind of difficulty to move around the sidewalks of the city and the minority believes that the urban sidewalk is bad to move around. Conclusion: We can conclude that visually impaired users in the metropolitan region of Belém are enormously affected due to difficulty in travelling on the sidewalks.