PEDESTRIAN CROSSING BEHAVIOUR AT INTERSECTIONS

Abstract

The pedestrian oriented planning is a major component of road facility design as pedestrians constitute a notable percent in traffic on urban roads. Traffic accidents involving pedestrians have become a major safety problem all over the world, particularly in developing countries. In India, the number of pedestrians killed in accidents between 1970 and 2007 has increased from 14,500 to 1,14,000. This necessitates provision of pedestrian crossing facilities. However, consideration for pedestrian safety by means of dedicated crossing facilities causes unacceptable vehicle delays at locations of heavy pedestrian flows, thus increasing driver's frustration. In light of this, a study is taken up to understand pedestrians' crossing behaviour at signalised and unsignalised intersections in urban roads. Data required for the study is collected by video graphic method. Five cities in India, namely Delhi, Dehradun, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Roorkee are chosen for the study, which have substantial pedestrian movements. Data is analysed to examine pedestrian crossing speeds, crossing patterns and critical gap values, effect of pedestrian groups on crossing speed and approaching vehicle speed, etc, for unsignalised intersections and variation in crossing speed and trajectory of crossing during pedestrian green phase for signalized intersections. A comparison .is made between overall crossing speeds at unsignalised intersections, midblock and signalised intersections. The results would help to analyze the pedestrian behaviour, while crossing the road. This would aid in planning and design of pedestrian crossing facilities in urban areas.