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In this research, expert opinions on universal mobility in the footpaths of urban India have been critically appraised. Universal mobility (as a component of universal design) is still a largely ignored urban parameter in India despite an increase of 732.20% in the specially-abled and 105.25% in the elderly between 1911 and 2011. A total of 257 experts from the field of architecture and planning hailing from 66 cities in India were interviewed for this research. It was found that despite nationally implemented universal design guidelines, footpaths in 42.8% of the cities do not have universal mobility. In total, 74.7% of the respondents identify the dimension of the footpath as the most important factor for implementing universal mobility. The results of this study indicate the importance of universal design in improving the quality of life in Indian cities, and how urban local bodies can play a significant role in the process by using Public Private Partnership (hereafter, PPP) models and a new accessibility audit checklist.

To date, several macro-level walkability measures have been proposed, but microscale and audit-based walkability approaches prove to be highly effective to support realistic, quick and cheap mechanisms for pedestrian-friendly environments. Yet, walkability audits are time- and cost-intensive solutions, because they require several streetscape observations. This study aims to investigate whether a multiple linear regression model of urban form- and function-related variables can effectively predict an audit-based average walkability indicator. For this purpose, we use a virtual, brief and reliable audit tool (MAPS-Mini) in Athens city centre in order to collect street-level data and in turn to construct a microscale walkability indicator (dependent variable). Moreover, our approach suggests a flexible statistical model of open-source data, with six exploratory variables of the macro-level built environment: angular integration, population density, transit stop density, pedestrian street density, retail and entertainment activity density, and building height. The results indicate that audit-based average walkability scores can be effectively estimated, as the regression model can explain about 82% of the variation. Furthermore, the density of retail and entertainment activities was indicated as the strongest correlate of more walking-friendly streetscapes, while some urban policy implications include the promotion of footpath repairs and better-engineered crossings.

In this research, the condition of universal mobility, in the centers of historic Indian cities, has been critically analyzed. Implementing universal design guidelines (especially universal mobility standards) in the centers of historic Indian cities is comparatively challenging, due to the high-density, ever-increasing population, and organic urban development. The rising number of elderly and specially abled people also add a demographic challenge to universal mobility. The focus of this research is to understand the extent to which universal mobility guidelines can be implemented in the centers of historic Indian cities. The dataset for this research is derived from a field survey of 69 footpath stretches from the centers of 5 historic cities in India, namely Jaipur, Jodhpur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Footpath stretches in the centers of these historic cities were evaluated based on several factors pertaining to universally designed infrastructure and universal mobility features. Such comprehensive research on universal mobility in footpaths of historic Indian cities has not been previously conducted. The findings of this research indicate the poor condition of universal mobility in the studied areas. Furthermore, the results can be useful for assessing the extent of implementation of universal mobility in the centers of other historic Indian cities.

As the most basic travel mode of residents, walking trip takes place more frequently in residential districts. It is of great significance to study the land use characteristics of the residential district suitable for walking in order to create a good walking environment and land use model. In this paper, 18 residential blocks in Xi'an are taken as the research object, based on the relevant data of the pedestrian flow rate and land use of residential blocks, this paper analyzes the interactive relationship between the non-commuting hours during the week, the commuting hours during the week and the weekends by using the multiple linear regression model, and the land use characteristics of residential blocks under the guidance of walking trip are revealed. The results show that the land use factors related to pedestrian flow rate are mainly 9 factors, such as building density, buildings mixing degree, mixing degree of business functions and density of functional formats. In different hours, walking trips have different demands on various elements of land use. During the non-commuting hours during the week, the demand for walking trips for building density, mixing degree of business functions, density of functional formats and footpath area ratio is large. During the commuting hours during the week, the demand for walking trips for buildings mixing degree, density of functional formats, road network connectivity, and green area ratio of footpath is large. During the weekends, the demand for building density, density of functional formats, road network density, and footpath density is large. Through the above analysis, the optimization strategy is proposed for residential blocks in Xi 'an, which provides a theoretical basis for the optimization and transformation of the space environment of residential blocks to promote walking trip.

Distraction from mobile devices increases pedestrian risks at intersections. Innovative interventions are currently installed at road and rail intersections to alert pedestrians. These interventions will be effective only if pedestrians modify their behaviour. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) posits that behaviour changes as a result of behavioural intention, which is affected by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However, the link between intention and actual behaviour is often overlooked. The current study aims to investigate this link and apply this theoretical framework to interventions for distracted pedestrians. We conducted a day-time field study at three railway level crossings in New Zealand with such interventions reminding pedestrians to look for trains: in-ground flashing lights located at footpath level, an audio warning message, and in-ground flashing lights combined with the audio warning message. Participants (N = 34, Mean age 33.6, SD = 8.6 years) walked through level crossings while performing a distractor task (visual and auditory distraction) or when not distracted. Actively checking for trains from both sides of the crossing was used as a measure of actual behaviour. All three interventions were perceived as useful (5.1 ± 0.4) and easy to use (5.6 ± 0.2) and resulted in positive intention to use the technology (5.8 ± 0.3). Statistical analyses confirmed that the TAM constructs - particularly perceived usefulness - affected intention, and intentions lead to behavioural change with improved crossing behaviours. This study highlights the importance of perceived usefulness and intentions to use the interventions with reducing distracted pedestrian behaviours.

User perception plays a critical role in pedestrian infrastructure usage. Indeed, the perceptional influence varies across individuals, and it is imperative to consider their response heterogeneity in modelling individual travel intentions. The present study develops a novel framework to understand the pedestrian perception, and further identify their impact on future travel decisions. In this framework, the individual pedestrian perception of an area is captured using a Level of Service (LOS) index, and the overall set of LOS is categorized using a clustering methodology. The future travel behavior is modelled using a single-step estimation that incorporates the effect of both response heterogeneity and latent individual correlation. The proposed framework is utilized in estimating the LOS categorization and the future willingness to walk in the city of Coimbatore, India. The results found a significant response heterogeneity among respondents in Coimbatore, and consequently emphasized the need for incorporating these taste variations in the travel behavior models. An increase in LOS encouraged the respondents to walk, and further, walk longer. Moreover, females were willing to pursue walking and/or walk more distance compared with males. The positive ordinal interval for LOS ‘A’ to ‘C’ indicated an acceptability for this LOS range among pedestrians compared with LOS ‘E’ to ‘F’ having a negative range. In the individual assessment of LOS variables, almost all study areas were found requiring an improvement with respect to the management of footpath vendors and footpath cleanliness.

Purpose This study aims to develop a managerial contribution with actors whose mission is the development of sustainable tourism in the mountains. Lastly, they present and discuss the findings. Design/methodology/approach A case study was conducted on the third stage of Mare in Mares, where at the end of this stage, the village stage gîte located 850 m above sea level accommodates hikers. The study began in 2016 and included tourism professionals (bed and breakfast managers, stage gite managers and guides), local elected officials, as well as representatives of the Local Mediation Group, the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, the Corsican Environment Office, SIVOM de la Bravone, the Development Office and breeders in the pig and beef sector. Findings The results show that the hiker numbers at Mare a Mare (800 hikers over a short period) are not an obstacle to sustainable mountain tourism. In contrast, wild fishing, pig and cattle wandering and the deficit of waste water treatment plants in some of the villages of Mare a Mare, contribute to endangering the strategy of sustainable development and sustainable tourism in mountains. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the study are its focus on just one stage of the Mare-to-Mare sentier de grande randonnée footpath and, secondly, the possibility that the paths may not be usable in future as climate change impacts occur. Originality/value The purpose of this study is to make a managerial contribution in relation to the action that needs to be taken, beginning with a trial in Corsica. Specifically, managerial support would involve a training course on the actions needed for – decision-makers, managers, politicians – whose responsibility it is to develop sustainable tourism in the mountains. Given this broad recommendation, the content of the training and action needed should be based on the concept of territorial resilience, as well as aspects of complex thinking and planning based on a systemic approach.

Urban footpath quality and pedestrian level of service is a popular subject for modelling and simulation in transport engineering. This paper reports an investigation into the capacity of footpaths alongside a city street in Sari, Iran to determine whether the current provision can meet the present and forecast pedestrian demand, or whether improvements are required. To assess the capacity of the footpaths, a database including the location and time, speed and number of pedestrians, as well as determining and identifying points of footpaths with relatively high crowding, was prepared. Finally, the level of service (LOS) was obtained using a US code and proprietary modelling tool. The results indicated that some sections of the route were currently below an acceptable LOS and needed improvement to provide an adequate provision for pedestrians. When factoring in forecast growth, the LOS in these substandard sections was predicted to reduce even further and, without improvement, could undermine future economic growth.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a recognised modelling tool for simulating pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons. These studies require accurate street geometry, sufficient modelling experience and access to software to provide reliable outputs. Parked cars are known to act as a passive barrier and affects pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon. This modelling study examines the impact of accurate geometrical detailing and suitable mesh sizing on air pollution concentrations measured at street level. Mean steady state concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) were measured in a reference scenario (without parked cars) and three parked car scenarios. A comparison of the results indicated that individual rectangular blocks and generic car scenarios overestimated pollutant concentrations on the footpaths by up to 25% when compared to the results from the five distinct car designs scenario, with the parked cars acting as a passive barrier in each scenario under different wind conditions. The most notable finding demonstrated how the five distinct car designs scenario presented an increase in CO concentrations on the leeward footpath as opposed to a reduction in the results in the other coarser geometrically detailed scenarios. The parked cars trapped pollutants in each scenario with low wind speeds for perpendicular wind conditions, as higher concentrations were measured on the footpaths. A further examination of pollutant decay rates demonstrated how the geometrical detailing of the parked cars also impacted upon the duration taken for pollutants to escape from the footpath zones. These findings demonstrate how parked cars affects pollutant dispersion and concentrations measured on the footpaths at street level, and the adoption of a suitable meshing scheme is vital to capture results in the zone of interest in an urban street canyon.

This is the first time that the landscape footpath is realized on the suspension monorail system. To study the comfort of pedestrians on the landscape footpath when the vehicle passes, the dynamic responses of the track beam and the landscape footpath at different speeds were analyzed using the established vehicle-bridge dynamic analysis model. To evaluate the comfort of pedestrians on the landscape footpath, two indexes, Root Mean Square (RMS) value of acceleration (ISO 10137) and peak value of acceleration (EN 03), were adopted. Results show that the displacement and acceleration responses of landscape footpath and track beam are obviously different. Vertical displacement of the track beam is much larger than that of the landscape footpath due to the eccentric load of vehicles. Due to the displacement and rotation of the structural components which support the landscape footpath, the lateral response transferred to the landscape footpath would be slightly weakened. Maximum RMS values of the lateral and vertical acceleration of landscape footpath are 0.162 m/s2 and 0.169 m/s2, respectively, which meet the requirements of ISO 10137. Peak lateral acceleration is 0.546 m/s2, which reaches CL3 standard, and the peak vertical acceleration is 0.548 m/s2, which reaches CL2 standard. Lateral comfort is slightly worse than vertical comfort.

Multiple projects within the rail industry across different regions have been initiated to address the issue of over-population. These expansion plans and upgrade of technologies increases the number of intersections, junctions, and level crossings. A level crossing is where a railway line is crossed by a road or right of way on the level without the use of a tunnel or bridge. Level crossings still pose a significant risk to the public, which often leads to serious accidents between rail, road, and footpath users and the risk is dependent on their unpredictable behavior. For Great Britain, there were three fatalities and 385 near misses at level crossings in 2015&ndash, 2016. Furthermore, in its annual safety report, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) highlighted the risk of incidents at level crossings during 2016/17 with a further six fatalities at level crossings including four pedestrians and two road vehicles. The relevant authorities have suggested an upgrade of the existing sensing system and the integration of new novel technology at level crossings. The present work addresses this key issue and discusses the current sensing systems along with the relevant algorithms used for post-processing the information. The given information is adequate for a manual operator to make a decision or start an automated operational cycle. Traditional sensors have certain limitations and are often installed as a &ldquo, single sensor&rdquo, The single sensor does not provide sufficient information, hence another sensor is required. The algorithms integrated with these sensing systems rely on the traditional approach, where background pixels are compared with new pixels. Such an approach is not effective in a dynamic and complex environment. The proposed model integrates deep learning technology with the current Vision system (e.g., CCTV to detect and localize an object at a level crossing). The proposed sensing system should be able to detect and localize particular objects (e.g., pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles at level crossing areas.) The radar system is also discussed for a &ldquo, two out of two&rdquo, logic interlocking system in case of fail-mechanism. Different techniques to train a deep learning model are discussed along with their respective results. The model achieved an accuracy of about 88% from the MobileNet model for classification and a loss metric of 0.092 for object detection. Some related future work is also discussed.

This study sought to understand motivations of individuals who offer unsolicited assistance to Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers. Referred to as “trail angels,” these individuals provide supportive services (e.g., food, drink, transportation, and lodging) along the 2,650-mile footpath as it passes through California, Oregon, and Washington. Their services have been documented in the literature on studies of thru-hikers, but the motives of trail angels have yet to be studied. To understand why trail angels provide free services, the authors developed an open-ended online survey and posted it to two trail angel Facebook group pages. The survey asked angels about reasons for serving as a trail angel, benefits accrued, and motivations to continue. Qualitative data were analyzed by independent coders. Emergent themes (n = 30) indicated that trail angels are motivated by joy in helping others, meeting new people, living vicariously through others, and sustaining a unique community. They also discussed negative impacts of trail angels. The themes are discussed in terms of empathic altruism and psychological egoism. Additional discussion focuses on implications for PCT management. Subscribe to JOREL

Air pollution continues to be a problem in the urban environment. A range of different pollutant mitigation strategies that promote dispersion and deposition exist, but there is little evidence with respect to their comparative performance from both an environmental and economic perspective. This paper focuses on examining different NO2 mitigation strategies such as trees, buildings facades coated with photocatalytic paint and solid barriers in Oxford Street in London. The case study findings will support ranking the environmental and economic impacts of these different strategies to improve personal exposure conditions on the footpath and on the road in a real urban street canyon. CFD simulations of airflow and NO2 dispersion in Oxford Street in London were undertaken using the OpenFOAM software platform with the k-e model, taking into account local prevailing wind conditions. Trees are shown to be the most cost-effective strategy, with a small reduction in NO2 concentrations of up to 0.7% on the road. However, solid barriers with and without the application of photocatalytic paint and an innovative material (20 times more expensive than trees) can improve air quality on the footpaths more substantially, up to 7.4%, yet this has a significant detrimental impact on NO2 concentrations (≤23.8%) on the road. Photocatalytic paint on building surfaces presented a minimal environmental reductions (1.2%) and economic (>100 times more expensive than trees) mitigation strategy. The findings recognised the differences between footpath and road concentrations occurred and that a focused examination of three pollution hotspots can provide more cost effective pollution mitigation. This study considers how a number of pollutant mitigation measures can be applied in a single street canyon and demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies from economic and environmental perspectives. Further research is required to extrapolate the findings presented here to different street geometries.

Many cities are seeking to optimise the ecosystem service benefits of urban trees by incorporating goals for increasing tree canopy cover into strategies that promote liveability and urban sustainability. We adapt revealed preference valuation techniques as a combined policy evaluation and business case tool with broader application to urban forest planning and investment. We use spatial hedonic price modelling of 2,299 house sales across 80 sample sites in 52 residential Brisbane suburbs, to reveal home-buyers willingness to pay 3.73% more for houses in streets with target levels of footpath tree cover (50% tree canopy coverage of the footpath zone by 2031) nearby (within 100m). An estimate of the contribution of 2010 levels of footpath tree cover (35%) to the prices of houses sold in 2010 ($US15.03 – 15.91 million) far exceeded annual costs to those home owners in local property taxes. Associated annual rates revenues ($US 0.51 – 0.53 million) to local government and stamp duty revenues ($US 0.53 – 0.60 million) to state government help justify ongoing collaborative investment to achieve target levels of footpath tree cover.

Creating a cityscape conducive to a safe and efficient pedestrian experience requires a holistic understanding of the relationship between the built structures of a city and the movement of individuals within it. To empower policy makers to design, implement, and successfully deliver measures aimed at reducing footpath congestion and improving pedestrian safety the link between pedestrian volume and different features of the built environment needs to be investigated. Observed pedestrian counts at 50 intersections across the City of Melbourne are used as the input dependent variable of two regression models. A global ordinary least squares regression model and a local geographically weighted regression model are generated and evaluated for best fit of purpose. Spatiotemporal statistical handling is employed to clean the data of contextual anomalies. The output of the regression models identified eight key features as the most statistically significant predictors of pedestrian volume in Melbourne, Australia. These features include distance to schools and train stations and measures of footpath connectivity. This study reveals that due to significant spatial and temporal non-stationarity exhibited between pedestrian count sensors and built environment variables, the geographically weighted regression is the most appropriate modelling technique. This paper presents a methodology for the creation of a robust pedestrian prediction model.

Walking remains the primary means of travel in informal settlements of the Global South because of the limited ability of municipal governments to provide formal transport infrastructure. To cope, residents create footpaths through a bottom-up approach. Using a case study of informal settlements in Quito, this paper offers the first study of the process through which people settled in these spaces shape footpaths as informal walking infrastructures to enable everyday mobility. The paper draws on data collected over an eighteen-month period from archives, field notes from participatory observations, records of in-depth interviews, and interviews “on the go” with pedestrians to show how this infrastructure enables informal settlements' residents to access everyday destinations in shorter times, less expensively, and (often) more safely than alternatives. We show how these informal infrastructures build on centuries old practices of collective footpath building that form an essential part of local culture, and how urban processes and infrastructural development in the core city shape the production, transformation and disappearance of footpaths in informal settlements. Significantly, these findings contribute to a fuller understanding of the value and vulnerability of informal infrastructures that can inform wider studies of walking and informal infrastructure. The paper concludes by identifying the challenges and opportunities to promote informal infrastructures as a mainstream element of mobility in the city and support a more sustainable path to urban development.

The body of evidence, both archaeological and palaeoenvironmental, for Mesolithic occupation in the North York Moors and adjacent Tees Valley was collated and assessed by the North East Yorkshire Mesolithic project (2006–2014). Five sites in different topographic locations were evaluated by the project, which also included monitoring footpath erosion in key locations in order to verify and extend the known distribution of sites. Almost 50 years on from Jeff Radley’s account of the Mesolithic period in North East Yorkshire, the project’s results provide an opportunity to review the evidence. Knowledge of site distributions across this landscape has increased and understanding of the nature of the occupation has improved but there are still questions to be answered. Directions for future research are suggested, but it may be only with detailed site investigation that we will be able to make significant advances in our understanding of Mesolithic activity within this landscape.

Motorcycle transportation has burgeoned in war-affected West Africa over the past decade. The penetration of motorcycle taxis deep into isolated rural communities has spread spontaneously and created direct and indirect employment opportunities for low-skilled youth, a category most susceptible to militia recruitment. Equally important, it has significantly contributed to lifting smallholder farmers out of poverty by reducing the costs of moving produce to markets, with motorcycles able to visit villages connected to feeder roads solely by footpaths. Nevertheless, state actors and international donors remain reluctant to allocate funds to rural track building/upgrading, preferring to stick to more conventional, but expensive, construction/rehabilitation of rural roads accessible to four-wheeled vehicles. Through a case study of Liberia – still recovering from two civil wars and an Ebola health crisis – this paper argues that the impact of bringing community access through track construction/footpath upgrading is significant, particularly because track construction lends itself par excellence to the involvement of the rural communities themselves.

Trees along footpath zones (or verges) grow on the “front-line” of urban forest ecosystems, increasingly recognised as essential to the quality of human life in cities. Growing so close to where residents live, work and travel, these street trees require careful planning and active management in order to balance their benefits against risks, liabilities, impacts and costs. Securing support and investment for urban trees is tough and robust business cases begin with accurate information about the resource. Few studies have accounted for spatial heterogeneity within a single land-use type in analyses of structure and composition of street tree populations. Remotely sensed footpath tree canopy cover data was used as a basis for stratification of random sampling across residential suburbs in the study area of Brisbane, Australia. Analysis of field survey data collected in 2010 from 80 representative sample sites in 52 suburbs revealed street tree population (432,445 ± 26,293) and stocking level (78%) estimates with low (6.08%) sampling error. Results also suggest that this population was transitioning to low risk, small-medium sized species with unproven longevity that could limit the capacity of the Brisbane’s Neighbourhood Shadeways planting program to expand from 35% footpath tree canopy cover in 2010, to a target of a 50% by 2031. This study advances the use of contemporary techniques for sampling extensive, unevenly distributed urban tree populations and the value of accurate resource knowledge to inform evidence-based planning and investment for urban forests.

Vegetation barriers have been widely applied along urban streets to improve roadside air quality. For a deep investigation of their influences, field measurements and numerical simulations are performed in this study. Carbon monoxide (CO) is selected as a representative of gaseous traffic emissions for both field observations and numerical models. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models of the standard k-e turbulent model and Eulerian approach for species transport are solved by FLUENT solver. Results obtained from numerical simulations show a good agreement with field observations on the distribution of roadside CO. In perpendicular wind conditions, both field observations and numerical simulations present a prominent CO reduction over the slow lanes (footpath and bikeway) when vegetation barriers exist. To effectively mitigate roadside air pollution, numerical simulations also provide the optimal heights for roadside vegetation barriers in the given street canyons. For street canyons with an aspect ratio (the ratio of building height to street width) ranging from 0.3 to 1.67, 1.1 m can be used as an optimal height, and 2.0 m could serve as an alternative if tall vegetation barriers are considered. For street canyons with an aspect ratio of lower than 0.3, 0.9 m to 2.5 m can be considered as the optimal heights for roadside vegetation barriers. According to sensitivity analysis, the optimal heights for vegetation barriers are largely insensitive to wind velocities in the given street canyons. In the more complicated urban street canyons and complex meteorological conditions, the optimal heights can be determined by specific numerical simulations. These findings are expected to provide important insights into alleviation of gaseous mobile emissions in terms of vegetation barrier design in urban streets.

This article uses Dog Kennel Hill Project’s contemporary dance performance TUG as a case study to explore waterways as sites for performance and to consider performances on water in relation to: the specificity of water as a material, the mode of mobility in performance, the live event as a transitory experience and an intimate encounter. This article offers an analysis of the two separate audience experiences of TUG performed on a narrow boat on Watford Canal, exploring materiality and proximity through Gaston Bachelard’s ideas about the ‘intimacy’ of water explicated in Water and Dreams. The onboard version is performed for a small audience seated on the boat, while the footpath version involves participants walking alongside the boat via the towpath while listening to an audio-guide. This article will discuss the role the water plays in both of these experiences. This analysis will consider recent performance practices that engage with mobility, water and boats and argues that water in performa...

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of maintaining environmental public goods such as rural landscapes and their ecological systems, it remains challenging to implement a management system where the value of maintaining such public goods is reflected by a means of a support payment. We proposed a tourism model for the regional promotion of footpaths as the main axis in the “Agri-culture System” designated as part of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Applying a Contingent Valuation Method, we asked walkers how much they were willing to contribute to various GIAHS-related activities through volunteering in addition to the participation fee for the walk. We hypothesized that the diverse means and activities to support conservation would contribute to sustainable management of GIAHS. The research findings showed that walkers had options to choose which activity to support. For track maintenance, WTCL in volunteering is 4.23 days a year. In the case of walkers who had no options, their Willingness to Contribute in Labor (WTCL) by volunteering is 3.34 days a year. To link the regional resources used for tourism with GIAHS require their effective management and conservation. Thus, it is desirable to formulate a combined approach such as payments by users of the trails and contributions through volunteer activities.

The High Line is an elevated public park in New York City, transformed from an unused freight rail line. Pedestrians walking through Manhattan’s West Side can walk either on the High Line or on a footpath below. Using Manhattan as a laboratory, this paper offers a combined assessment of noise and particulate matter pollution for its pedestrians. Noise and PM2.5 levels were recorded simultaneously for two cases (i) pedestrians walking on a footpath alongside road traffic and (ii) pedestrians walking on the elevated High Line. Testing took places over three days in autumn 2014. Results were analysed to investigate if pedestrians using the High Line would have a lower pollution exposure to those using the footpath below. Results showed statistically significant differences between the upper and lower levels in exposure to both pollution types. In order to quantify the overall impact, results are expressed through a combined air–noise pollution index. This index indicates that the average reduction in PM2.5 and noise pollution along the High Line compared to the footpath below is approximately 37%.

This paper presents a three-rider motorcycle accident which took place in a suburb of Chongqing China. In the accident, the motorcycle impacted the terminal of a bridge footpath and led to two riders died and one rider injured. After the accident, one rider received injuries around the groin area including the underbelly area and the perineum area. Another rider suffered from injuries only on the perineum areas. In medico-legal judgments, injuries around the groin area also called groin injuries in victims of motorcycle accidents are usually regarded as "fuel tank injuries" which are commonly found in drivers. But, the injuries around the groin area are sometimes confused with the perineum injuries. Therefore, the perineum injuries are often wrongly reckoned as the "fuel tank injuries" and used to identify the drivers too. Actually, passengers can sometimes suffer from perineum injuries in many head-on impacting motorcycle accidents. It is of vital matters to understand the differences between groin injuries and perineum injuries so that the real driver who should be responsible for the accident can be recognized. In this paper, the three-rider motorcycle accident was presented and the injury information of the three riders was studied in order to distinguish the real driver from the riders. We consider that the groin injury has some differences with the perineum injury and the latter should not always be related to the driver especially in high-speed head-on impacting motorcycle accidents. In addition, the injury on underbelly areas is important to identify the driver.

Indigenous footpaths have been the major means of passage from origin to destination before the advent of cars and town planning. Over the years, these traditional areas have retained their original attributes with additional walking links to the motorable roads. In this study, footpaths to municipal solid waste bins were modelled in order to locate waste bins within an area in Ilorin, north central Nigeria. A network dataset was built in a standard GIS application (ArcMap 10) from the downloaded satellite image of the study area. The Location-Allocation tool in the Network Analyst window was then used to determine the optimal location of facilities based on cut-off walking distance which defines command area of a waste bin. The result of this analysis could act as a decision support tool for the determination of type, size and removal frequency of each waste bin based on estimates of waste generation from each command area.

This paper examines a case study of the SkyCabs system as a way to alleviate some of the traffic problems of Auckland, New Zealand. SkyCabs is an elevated two-way monobeam carrying light eight-seater cabs on tracks on each side of the beam, available on demand, providing fast, pollution-free, unimpeded travel above the footpath with panoramic views of the city. The aim of this study is to investigate the attractiveness of implementing the SkyCabs system to and from Auckland central business district (CBD) and Auckland international airport by examining four variables: different routes, different number of stops/stations, different passenger demand levels, and different number of cabs in the system. The analysis utilizes geographical information system and simulation tools for the various scenarios considered. The results show that it is possible to assess the cost–benefit of alternative routes in terms of those four variables and rate of return on investment.

While vegetation in street canyons may improve air quality by removing pollutants, it may also worsen air quality by inhibiting street ventilation. In this study, the isolated effects of roadside greenbelts on footpath air quality were investigated by measuring the coarse particles (PM10) removal efficiency of roadside greenbelts with three different vegetation structures in different grade roads. Results indicated that the three kinds of greenbelts can improve footpath air quality to a certain degree (7–15%). Interestingly, the vegetation structure of shrubs and small trees (about 2–4.5 m in height) with small crown diameter shows the highest PM10 removal efficiency along major or heavy traffic roads. The stratified vegetation structure with trees, shrubs and grass is optimal for sub-arterial road or medium traffic roads as these plants can produce multiple ecological effects and create esthetic pleasant landscapes. For branch roads, a parallel tree stand can bring a cost-effective effect. Results of linear regression analysis and gray relational analysis (GRA) show that the removal percentage has significant negative correlation with the shelterbelt porosity (R2 = 0.83), and relative humidity has a more significant effect (γ = 0.68) on the PM10 removal percentage than temperature (γ = 0.51) or wind speed (γ = 0.63).

Optimal escape theory predicts that animals should moderate their flight responses according to the level of risk represented by a potential predator. This theory should apply even when organisms are habituated to disturbance, and how animals respond to human presence is likely to determine their success exploiting urban habitats. Therefore, urban animals should be sensitive to cues that inform them about levels of risk, allowing them to reduce costs by not overreacting to innocuous stimuli, while ensuring that they are nevertheless reactive to genuinely threatening stimuli. We tested this at a highly urbanized site in New York City, where eastern grey squirrels appear to pay little attention to humans. Squirrels were approached tangentially on a trajectory that took the observer within ∼2m of them and we measured alert distance, flight initiation distance (FID), and distance fled for each focal individual. Squirrels showed little sign of being alerted to the pedestrian if he remained on the footpath and did not look at them (only 5% of individuals moved away), but 90% of squirrels moved away, with longer FID and flight distance, when approached by a pedestrian that moved off the footpaths and looked at them. Squirrels therefore modulate their reactions when pedestrians behave in a predictable manner (i.e. remaining on the footpaths) and are also sensitive to the direction of attention of humans, reducing unnecessary responses, and are thereby likely to be increasing their ability to persist in this urban environment. Previous studies have emphasized the behavioural plasticity of successful urban wildlife species. In this study, we emphasize the importance of disturbance monitoring by successful urban exploiters, allowing them to vary their behavioural responses according to the level of risk to which they are exposed.

This paper explores the similarities and differences between bicycle and motorcycle crashes with other motor vehicles. If similar treatments can be effective for both bicycle and motorcycle crashes, then greater benefits in terms of crash costs saved may be possible for the same investment in treatments. To reduce the biases associated with under-reporting of these crashes to police, property damage and minor injury crashes were excluded. The most common crash type for both bicycles (31.1%) and motorcycles (24.5%) was intersection from adjacent approaches. Drivers of other vehicles were coded most at fault in the majority of two-unit bicycle (57.0%) and motorcycle crashes (62.7%). The crash types, patterns of fault and factors affecting fault were generally similar for bicycle and motorcycle crashes. This confirms the need to combat the factors contributing to failure of other drivers to yield right of way to two-wheelers, and suggest that some of these actions should prove beneficial to the safety of both motorized and non-motorized two-wheelers. In contrast, child bicyclists were more often at fault, particularly in crashes involving a vehicle leaving the driveway or footpath. The greater reporting of violations by riders and drivers in motorcycle crashes also deserves further investigation.

In this study, we compare differences between the mid-foot running gait of a typical middle distance runner and the footpath of a non-impact elliptical cross-training device. From this analysis, we propose and implement an asymmetric ovate footpath to overcome the substantial differences in biomechanics imposed by elliptical mechanisms. Similar to running, the asymmetric ovate provides 60% swing and 40% stance phase timing as well as an elevated foot position during initial swing at the commencement of foot recovery. Importantly, this reduction of mid-stance to toe-off timing combined with a large arc in the footpath during initial swing induces a simulated leap (double float) even though the feet remain in contact with the pedals. Preliminary analysis comparing the asymmetric ovate with an elliptical footpath (n = 2 × 3 replicates) suggests that the asymmetric ovate is better suited to high-intensity interval training. Applying a 99% confidence level, maximum heart rates were higher and achieved faster ...

How does driving experience help in the development of situation awareness? A comparison of detection rates of roadway hazards that involved other road users by inexperienced and experienced car drivers and experienced motorcycle riders with car driving experience was conducted under laboratory conditions. Motorcycle rider-drivers, due to their greater breadth of road experiences, were predicted to have an advantage over other road users in the detection of hazards. Two types of hazards abrupt-onset events and gradual-onset hazards were examined. Abrupt-onset events capture attention by virtue of sudden movement and risk of impending collision, as when a pedestrian runs into the roadway for example. It was expected that these hazards would be detected regardless of experience or situation awareness. Gradual-onset hazards require the anticipation of unfolding events as recognition of the danger from children playing on the footpath, and as such are a test of advanced situation awareness. The results showed no inexperienced–experienced driver differences in the detection of either type of hazard, eliminating hazard-type as an explanation of previous inconsistencies. However, motorcycle rider-drivers detected gradual-onset hazards faster than car drivers and they also perceived more hazards in relatively safe sections of roadway, that is, they showed a higher level of situation awareness.

A pedestrian network is a topological map that contains the geometric relationship between pedestrian path segments (e.g., sidewalk, crosswalk, footpath), which is needed in a variety of applications, such as pedestrian navigation services. However, current pedestrian networks are not widely available. In an effort to provide an automatic means for creating pedestrian networks, this paper presents a methodology for extracting pedestrian network from aerial and laser images. The methodology consists of data preparation and four steps: object filtering, pedestrian path region extraction, pedestrian network construction, and raster to vector conversion. An experiment, using ten images, was conducted to evaluate the performance of the methodology. Evaluation results indicate that the methodology can extract sidewalk, crosswalk, footpath, and building entrances; it collects pedestrian networks with 61 percent geometrical completeness, 67.35 percent geometrical correctness, 71 percent topological completeness and 51.38 percent topological correctness.

This article analyses the nature and development of a grassroots popular culture of countryside appreciation, based on rural walking and access to unenclosed land, in northern England, covering the period between the emergence of footpath preservation societies in the 1820s and the controversies over access to Kinder Scout in the1930s. It has particular reference to Lancashire and the ‘Dark Peak’ in north Derbyshire, where activities of this sort were particularly widespread, especially on the upland moors. It examines the relationships between rural walking, enjoyment of open spaces and the freedom of the ‘open air’, popular science, political meetings and traditions, and campaigns to safeguard and extend access to uncultivated land. These themes are set in the context of the Lancashire ‘cotton towns’, especially but not exclusively, as the ‘first industrial society’ and the birthplace of modern commercial leisure, and the article pulls together evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources to...

Intuitively, the crowd density in front of a pedestrian will affect his walking speed along a footpath. Nevertheless, the size of the influencing area affecting walking speed has rarely been scrutinized in the past. This study attempts to determine the distance in front of pedestrians that principally affects their walking speed under normal conditions, using a case study of a footpath in Bangkok. We recorded pedestrian activities along a test section of 20 m, with an effective walking width of 2.45 m in the morning and at noon. The morning dataset was extracted for analyzing various influencing distances, ranging from 1 to 20 m in front of the pedestrian. The bi-directional walking speed–pedestrian density models were developed, for each tested distance, using linear regression analysis. It was found that an influencing length in the range of 5–8 m yields the highest correlation coefficients. In the case of high density conditions, the walking speed of the equally-split flow (50:50) was found to be higher than other proportional flow analyzed. The finding has useful implications on the improvement of the walking simulations in mesoscopic models.

This study evaluates the potential of passive controls in asymmetrical street canyons to reduce personal exposure to air pollutants on footpaths. A passive control in the form of a low boundary wall (LBW) may act as a baffle within a street canyon, producing modified airflow patterns and increase pollutant dispersion at street level. This numerical modelling study assessed the spatial distribution of concentrations of a tracer pollutant in a street canyon. Concentrations were measured along the centre of both footpaths at breathing height to determine the percentage difference between pollutant concentrations in canyons with and without passive controls. The investigation assessed asymmetrical street canyons of different building height ratios (H1/H2 ratio ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 in 0.1 intervals) in perpendicular wind conditions. The results indicated that the H1/H2 ratio affects pollutant dispersion and the implementation of a passive control can reduce the pollutant concentration on the footpaths. The percentage difference in concentrations induced by the presence of footpath LBWs ranged from an increase of up to 19% to a reduction of 30% on the leeward footpath, with reductions between 26% and 50% on the windward footpath with varying H1/H2 ratios. Comparing the results to a central LBW configuration identified the creation of two distinct vortices in the street canyon. The results also identified the effect of wind speed on the development of primary vortices. For urban planners, passive controls offer a method of increasing dispersion by modifying normal air flow patterns and potentially improve air quality in urban street canyons.