Pedestrians’ Perceptions of Motorized Traffic Variables in Relation to Appraisals of Urban Route Environments

Abstract

It is important to examine how motorized traffic variables affect pedestrians along a gradient from rural to inner urban settings. Relations between pedestrians’ perceptions of four traffic variables and appraisals of route environments as hindering–stimulating for walking as well as unsafe–safe for reasons of traffic, were therefore studied in the inner urban area of Stockholm, Sweden (n = 294). The pedestrians rated their perceptions and appraisals with the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES). Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to study the relationships between the traffic variables and the outcome variables. Noise related negatively to both hindering–stimulating for walking, and to unsafety–safety for traffic reasons. Vehicle speed related negatively to unsafety–safety for traffic reasons. Furthermore, vehicle speed protruded as an important origin of the deterring effects of traffic among those who commute by foot. The study shows the value of both partial and simultaneous analyses of the effect of all four traffic variables in relation to outcome variables relevant for walking.

Pedestrians' perceptions of route environments in relation to deterring or facilitating walking

“… A summary of direct and indirect relations based on commuting pedestrians' perceptions and appraisals of their route environments. In a previous study ( 23 ), we have shown that perceptions of both flow and speeds of motor vehicles are related to noise, see * at the box in the upper left corner. MRA = multiple regression analysis; MA = mediation analysis.…”

“…For speeds above 30 km/h the friction of the tires is the major source of the noise. In urban areas, where the speed often is above 30 km/h [see e.g., ( 23 )] a transformation of the car fleet toward relatively more electric cars, will most likely not have a pivotal influence on the traffic noise.…”

“…Due to a previous study ( 23 ), where noise protruded as the dominant negative predictor variable among the four variables related to motorized traffic in the ACRES, we have chosen to include noise as a proxy in relation to hinders–stimulates walking . With respect to our other outcomes, unsafe–safe traffic, noise , and speeds of motor vehicles will, due to the same rationale, act as proxies for that quartet of variables.…”

Models of Pedestrian Flows for the Concept of Sustainable Development of Moscow Area

“…The researchers note that this creates potential accidents and has a negative effect on the environment [5,10,12]. A solution for these problems in researches is creating methods and models that calculate prediction estimates of hazard and traffic delays in road segments [9,11,13].…”

Perceived exertion can be lower when exercising in field versus indoors

“…First of all, their effect of auditory stimuli can be related to the traffic situations that exposed the cycle commuters to varying ambient sounds. Traffic noise has been shown to adversely affect both cyclists and pedestrians [38][39][40], and Miedema [41] has shown that such forms of auditory impact can create high levels of annoyance, which might influence the perception of exertion.…”