IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v181y2024ics0965856424000168.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Redefining walkability to capture safety: Investing in pedestrian, bike, and street level design features to make it safe to walk and bike

Author

Listed:
  • Wali, Behram
  • Frank, Lawrence D.

Abstract

Walkable neighborhoods provide significant sustainability, health, and motorized user safety benefits. Far less consideration is given to the potential pedestrian/bicyclist safety-related implications of macro-level walkability. Making it desirable to walk and bike without providing the proper physical environment to make it safe is clearly problematic. This study assessed the links between neighborhood walkability and pedestrian/bicyclist traffic fatalities across metropolitan areas in the U.S. We integrated and harnessed geocoded data on pedestrian/bicyclist and all mode traffic fatalities, travel behavior exposures (use of sedentary and active travel modes), sociodemographic, and control variables. Associations of pedestrian/bicyclist traffic fatality rates with walkability characteristics were estimated using multilevel Tobit models with treatment for hierarchical unobserved regional and state variations. Walkability index (mixed land use, street intersection density, and transit accessibility) was positively correlated with pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates after adjusting for travel exposures, sociodemographic controls, and regional and state-level unobserved variations. A unit increase in the walkability index was associated with a 4.9% increase (95% CI: 4.2%, 5.7%) in pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates. Conversely, the walkability index was negatively correlated with total or all-mode fatality rates. The positive association between walkability and pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates appeared robust in different sensitivity analyses. Despite non-linearities, neighborhoods with greater population using active travel modes for commute had on-average higher pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates. The reverse was true for neighborhoods with greater teleworking population. Neighborhoods with greater prevalence of black, low-income, and younger adults had on-average higher pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates. Results emphasize the need to develop new conceptual definitions of walkability that consider safety within the built environments. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how pedestrian/bicyclist supportive design can be used to maximize the positive health benefits of walkability while reducing the risk of pedestrian/bicyclist deaths. Findings also suggest the need to enhance existing walkability assessment techniques (indices) to predict and simulate how different investments impact pedestrian/bicyclist safety. Incorporation of objective pedestrian/bicyclist safety in walkability assessments can assist practitioners to simultaneously improve health while minimizing safety risks to vulnerable road users.

Suggested Citation

  • Wali, Behram & Frank, Lawrence D., 2024. "Redefining walkability to capture safety: Investing in pedestrian, bike, and street level design features to make it safe to walk and bike," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:181:y:2024:i:c:s0965856424000168
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2024.103968
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856424000168
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2024.103968?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andres Sevtsuk, 2021. "Estimating Pedestrian Flows on Street Networks," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 87(4), pages 512-526, October.
    2. Tapp, Alan & Nancarrow, Clive & Davis, Adrian & Jones, Simon, 2016. "Vicious or virtuous circles? Exploring the vulnerability of drivers to break low urban speed limits," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 195-212.
    3. Marc A. Adams & Christine B. Phillips & Akshar Patel & Ariane Middel, 2022. "Training Computers to See the Built Environment Related to Physical Activity: Detection of Microscale Walkability Features Using Computer Vision," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Susan Handy & Bert van Wee & Maarten Kroesen, 2014. "Promoting Cycling for Transport: Research Needs and Challenges," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 4-24, January.
    5. Sallis, James F & Bull, Fiona & Burdett, Ricky & Frank, Lawrence D. & Griffiths, Peter & Giles-Corti, Billie & Stevenson, Mark, 2016. "Use of science to guide city planning policy and practice: how to achieve healthy and sustainable future cities," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68652, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Bradley Bereitschaft, 2017. "Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, July.
    7. Behram Wali & Asad Khattak & Thomas Karnowski, 2020. "The relationship between driving volatility in time to collision and crash injury severity in a naturalistic driving environment," Papers 2010.04719, arXiv.org.
    8. Xinyu Cao & Susan Handy & Patricia Mokhtarian, 2006. "The Influences of the Built Environment and Residential Self-Selection on Pedestrian Behavior: Evidence from Austin, TX," Transportation, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 1-20, January.
    9. Cain, Kelli L. & Millstein, Rachel A. & Sallis, James F. & Conway, Terry L. & Gavand, Kavita A. & Frank, Lawrence D. & Saelens, Brian E. & Geremia, Carrie M. & Chapman, James & Adams, Marc A. & Glanz,, 2014. "Contribution of streetscape audits to explanation of physical activity in four age groups based on the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 82-92.
    10. Arellana, Julián & Saltarín, María & Larrañaga, Ana Margarita & González, Virginia I. & Henao, César Augusto, 2020. "Developing an urban bikeability index for different types of cyclists as a tool to prioritise bicycle infrastructure investments," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 310-334.
    11. Cushing, M. & Hooshmand, J. & Pomares, B. & Hotz, G., 2016. "Vision zero in the United States versus Sweden: Infrastructure improvement for cycling safety," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 106(12), pages 2178-2180.
    12. Ewing, R. & Schieber, R.A. & Zegeer, C.V., 2003. "Urban Sprawl as a Risk Factor in Motor Vehicle Occupant and Pedestrian Fatalities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1541-1545.
    13. Jackson, R.J., 2003. "The Impact of the Built Environment on Health: An Emerging Field," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1382-1384.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jie Gao & Dick Ettema & Marco Helbich & Carlijn B. M. Kamphuis, 2019. "Travel mode attitudes, urban context, and demographics: do they interact differently for bicycle commuting and cycling for other purposes?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2441-2463, December.
    2. Courtney Coughenour & Hanns de la Fuente-Mella & Alexander Paz, 2019. "Analysis of Self-Reported Walking for Transit in a Sprawling Urban Metropolitan Area in the Western U.S," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Enayat Mirzaei & Dominique Mignot, 2021. "An Empirical Analysis of Mode Choice Decision for Utilitarian and Hedonic Trips: Evidence from Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-23, June.
    4. Roei Yosifof & Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman, 2024. "Hybrid quantitative mesoscale analyses for simulating pedestrians’ visual perceptions: Comparison of three New York City streets," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 51(1), pages 140-156, January.
    5. Michael Hardinghaus & Simon Nieland & Marius Lehne & Jan Weschke, 2021. "More than Bike Lanes—A Multifactorial Index of Urban Bikeability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Maas, Suzanne & Nikolaou, Paraskevas & Attard, Maria & Dimitriou, Loukas, 2021. "Examining spatio-temporal trip patterns of bicycle sharing systems in Southern European island cities," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    7. Zhao, Chunli & Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick & Olafsson, Anton Stahl & Carstensen, Trine Agervig & Meng, Xiaoying, 2018. "Urban form, demographic and socio-economic correlates of walking, cycling, and e-biking: Evidence from eight neighborhoods in Beijing," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 102-112.
    8. Carlson, Jordan A. & Shook, Robin P. & Davis, Ann M. & Papa, Amy & Steel, Chelsea & Bejarano, Carolina & Noel-MacDonnell, Janelle R. & Summar, Shelly & Dean, Kelsey & Hampl, Sarah E., 2021. "Investigating associations between physical activity-related neighborhood built environment features and child weight status to inform local practice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    9. Lowe, Melanie & Arundel, Jonathan & Hooper, Paula & Rozek, Julianna & Higgs, Carl & Roberts, Rebecca & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2020. "Liveability aspirations and realities: Implementation of urban policies designed to create healthy cities in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    10. Higuera-Mendieta, Diana & Uriza, Pablo Andrés & Cabrales, Sergio A. & Medaglia, Andrés L. & Guzman, Luis A. & Sarmiento, Olga L., 2021. "Is the built-environment at origin, on route, and at destination associated with bicycle commuting? A gender-informed approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    11. Maas, Suzanne & Attard, Maria & Caruana, Mark Anthony, 2020. "Assessing spatial and social dimensions of shared bicycle use in a Southern European island context: The case of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 81-97.
    12. Anura Amarasinghe & Gerard D'Souza & Cheryl Brown & Tatiana Borisova, 2006. "A Spatial Analysis of Obesity in West Virginia," Working Papers Working Paper 2006-13, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    13. Najaf, Pooya & Thill, Jean-Claude & Zhang, Wenjia & Fields, Milton Greg, 2018. "City-level urban form and traffic safety: A structural equation modeling analysis of direct and indirect effects," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 257-270.
    14. Grisé, Emily & Buliung, Ron & Rothman, Linda & Howard, Andrew, 2018. "A geography of child and elderly pedestrian injury in the City of Toronto, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 321-329.
    15. Li, Jingjing & Kim, Changjoo & Sang, Sunhee, 2018. "Exploring impacts of land use characteristics in residential neighborhood and activity space on non-work travel behaviors," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 141-147.
    16. Yafeng Zou & Qi Wang & Min Deng & Yujie Wang, 2021. "Community Intervention System: COVID-19 Control in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-18, December.
    17. Ding, Yu & Lu, Huapu, 2016. "Activity participation as a mediating variable to analyze the effect of land use on travel behavior: A structural equation modeling approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 23-28.
    18. Koglin, Till, 2015. "Organisation does matter – planning for cycling in Stockholm and Copenhagen," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 55-62.
    19. Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Fausto Cavallaro & Valentinas Podvezko & Ieva Ubarte & Arturas Kaklauskas, 2017. "MCDM Assessment of a Healthy and Safe Built Environment According to Sustainable Development Principles: A Practical Neighborhood Approach in Vilnius," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-30, April.
    20. Eric T. H. Chan & Tim Schwanen & David Banister, 2021. "The role of perceived environment, neighbourhood characteristics, and attitudes in walking behaviour: evidence from a rapidly developing city in China," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 431-454, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:181:y:2024:i:c:s0965856424000168. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.