Field Observations of Factors Influencing Walking Speeds

Kirsten Finnis and Darren Walton

Opus Central labs

Email: darren.walton@opus.co.nz

Overview

1. Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?

2. Method

3. Results

4. Implications

Walking Speed Facts

The average walking speed is approx 80m/min

Males walk approx 5m/min faster

Pedestrians over the age of 65 walk about 10m/min slower

Why examine pedestrian walking speeds?

1. Knowing pedestrian time budgets is essential when planning the placement of transit facilities

2. 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

3. Pace of life Cities with larger populations typically have faster walking speeds

(Bornstein & Bornstein, 1976)

University of Auckland

Time budget and walking distance “as the crow flies”

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

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

Methodology of Observations

Description of selected sites

Walker characteristics and walking speed

Location characteristics and walking speed

Population and walking speed

Population and walking speed

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?

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

What would happen to

observed walking speeds if

Segways were widespread?