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This study proposes a new approach for measuring field pedestrian waiting delay and developed a new pedestrian waiting delay model for signalized midblock crosswalks under mixed traffic conditions. Eight signalized midblock crosswalks were selected in the southern part of India, and data were collected using videographic technique. Pedestrian characteristics, cycle time, and phase lengths were extracted using frame-by-frame extraction technique with a least count of 0.03 s. In the current study, field pedestrian waiting delay was measured by plotting queue length against cycle time. The proposed approach was validated using the conventional approach for measuring field waiting delay. A new pedestrian waiting delay model was developed for signalized midblock crosswalks under mixed traffic conditions. Two new coefficients, i.e., the coefficient of nonuniform arrival rate (Δ1) and the coefficient of noncompliance behavior (Δ2), were incorporated into the existing Webster delay model. The former is modeled using regression analysis, and the latter is calculated as the proportion of violators. The proposed pedestrian waiting delay model was validated with the field waiting delay. The proposed new approach for measuring field waiting delay had an error of 5% compared with the conventional approach for measuring waiting delay. Hence the proposed approach for measuring pedestrian waiting can replace the conventional method for measuring field waiting delay because the new method minimizes the data extraction time. The proposed pedestrian delay model was found to be accurate in estimating the pedestrian waiting delay at signalized midblock crosswalks. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value of the new pedestrian waiting delay was found to be less than 12%. The proposed waiting delay model can be used to define the level of service (LOS) at signalized midblock crosswalks, and will aid traffic engineers and urban planners in improving pedestrian facilities and safety [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the study "Effect of Lane Width on Capacity Under Mixed Traffic Conditions in India," by Satish Chandra and Upendra Kumar in the March/April 2003 issue of the "Journal of Transportation Engineering." Failure of the authors to acknowledge the fact that the rate of increase of traffic on the roads in India is higher in comparison to the rate of addition of vehicles; Importance of the knowledge of road capacity for planning purposes; Failure to understand as to how such comparisons can be attributed to the nature of mixed traffic and the regulatory system on Indian roads.