Assessing Accessibility and Safety Conditions in an Urban Environment: What Do Pedestrians Perceive?

Abstract

This study aimed to assess pedestrians' perceptions about accessibility and safety with an aim to identify factors that influence their choice of mobility in an urban environment in the Municipality of Tlaquepaque, Mexico. A survey was conducted of 299 people aged 18 to 72 years old. The study was undertaken in situ while the users were at transit on the place. Most of the participants pointed out the presence of obstacles to free access and over than 60% of the participants considered that the design of the road could imply problems to people with disabilities. In terms of safety, almost 80% of participants consider the lack of respect to pedestrians as the main fact that represents safety risks for them. Overall, the study allows recognising a series of elements of the urban space might be considered to create an age-friendly -safe and accessible -environment.