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Overview. Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?MethodResults Implications. Walking Speed FactsThe average walking speed is approx 80m/minMales walk approx 5m/min fasterPedestrians over the age of 65 walk about 10m/min slower. Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?. Knowing pedestrian ti
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1. Field Observations of Factors Influencing Walking Speeds Kirsten Finnis and Darren Walton
Opus Central labs
Email: darren.walton@opus.co.nz
2. Overview
Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?
Method
Results
Implications
3. Why examine pedestrian walking speeds? Knowing pedestrian time budgets is essential when planning the placement of transit facilities
People adapt their travel behaviour to a travel time budget
The average walking speed is approximately 80m/min
Typical person allows 1hour travel per day (Marchetti, 1994)
Typical walker allows
10min walk to transit facilities
30min walk to destination (Newman & Kenworthy, 2006)
Preference for highly permeable environment to allow direct routes
Pace of life
Cities with larger populations typically have faster walking speeds (Bornstein & Bornstein, 1976)
5. 10mins walking diameter = 800m10mins walking diameter = 800m
6. Factors influencing walking speed Personal characteristics
Walking for purpose (e.g. commute)
Walking with children
Shoe type
Interacting with the environment
Cell phone
Listening to music
Age
Gender
Baggage
Environmental characteristics
Gradient
7. Method: Measuring walking speed 13 walking sites selected to differ by:
Geographic location
Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, Levin
Gradient
Commuter flow traffic
Variety of pedestrians
Measured walking speed on video
Time taken to travel 5m
15. Key findings There is no simple relationship between city population and walking speed
New Zealanders are faster walkers than overseas sites
Counterintuitive finding that walking speeds were faster uphill compared with walking on flat surfaces
People in Levin and Palmerston North walk faster than those in Auckland
.why?
16. Conclusions The key to it all is to ask who walks?
Are walking speeds are an indicator of walkability?
A key measure of performance/LOS can be the alignment of observed mean walking speed with the mean walking speed of the general population