Pedestrian Level of Service for Midblock Street Crossings

Abstract

A level-of-service methodology for pedestrians crossing streets at midblock locations was developed. The methodology can provide a measure of effectiveness that indicates pedestrians’ perceived quality of service in crossing roads at midblock locations. An objective was to determine what variables are correlated with pedestrians’ perceived quality of service for midblock crossings. A statistical calibration and validation process involved the collection of actual site characteristics and stated levels of quality of service by a sample of persons at a selection of midblock crossing locations. The variables included those that are most important to the Florida Department of Transportation and local governments for the purpose of improving pedestrian mobility, safety, and livability. Results showed that the levels of crossing difficulty tend to increase with the width of painted medians, signal spacing, and turning movements. They also showed that both the presence of pedestrian signals and cycle length are statistically significant, although they were hypothesized to be indeterminate. Finally, the results further indicated that people tend to find that the presence of pedestrian signals lowers their level of crossing difficulty.