• Pedestrian Walkability Assessment• Infrastructure Defi ciency Evaluation

• Community Connectivity• Barriers to Walking

• Pedestrian Safety Evaluation• Walking Access to Transit• Prioritization ToolMatthew Ridgway, AICP

PrincipalFehr & PeersT: 415-369-0425m.ridgway@fehrandpeers.comwww.fehrandpeers.com

Pedestrian GIS Tools

Eliot Allen, AICPPrincipalCriterion PlannersT: 503-224-8606info@crit.comwww.crit.com

Acknowledgements: The Sacramento Pedestrian Master Plan was commissioned by the City of Sacramento. Photos of Sacramento were taken by Ed Cox, City of Sacramento.

FEHR & PEERST R A N S P O R TAT I O N C O N S U L TA N T S

For information, please contact:

THE PEDESTRIAN INDEX (PED INDEX)

Fehr & Peers uses an innovative Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methodology to assess a community’s pedestrian needs and prioritize improvements. The process for identifying the top priority locations involves the use of the Ped INDEX, a GIS tool adapted from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth INDEX.

This methodology, which was developed for the Sacramento Pedestrian Master Plan, combines composite indices for walking potential and pedestrian defi ciencies. The product is an overall index of the areas with the highest walking potential (i.e., supportive land use, demographic and socioeconomic factors) and worst pedestrian facilities (i.e., areas lacking sidewalks, street lighting, etc.). The premise is that pedestrian improvements in these areas will have the greatest safety benefi ts and achieve the largest increases in the number of people walking.

PEDESTRIAN PLANNING PREMISES

• A well-planned pedestrian network is key to an integrated transportation system that provides a wide array of choices for travel and recreation.

• Each community has unique needs, geography, cost constraints, and history affecting the pedestrian environment. • The use of a community’s existing GIS resources can be a powerful tool to identify current and future needs of

pedestrians.• Well-designed Pedestrian Master Plans can

synthesize a community’s pedestrian vision into a cohesive framework that supports making walking an attractive travel option.

POLICIES AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Pedestrian Master Plans can facilitate the creation of walkable pedestrian environments in two ways– by outlining a process for creating pedestrian friendly environments oriented around policy recommendations and development review, and by prioritizing capital improvements directed toward “pedestrianizing” existing streets and neighborhoods. While policies and development review practices will aid communities in developing pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in the future, they do not address all current pedestrian defi ciencies. A Capital Improvement Program (CIP) component of pedestrian master planning can be directed toward this purpose.

SMART GROWTH INDEX

Smart Growth INDEX is an interactive GIS-based sketch tool for comparing alternative land use and transporta-

tion scenarios. Developed by Criterion Planners, Smart Growth INDEX measures existing conditions, evaluates

alternative plans, and supports implementation of adopted plans. Introduced in 1994, INDEX is now one of the

most widely distributed planning systems in the U.S., with over 100 organizations in 30 states equipped with

the software.

Identify high-defi ciencyinfrastructure areas

Identify high-potentialwalking areas

Composite to identify high-priorityimprovement areas

METHODOLOGY

The Ped INDEX methodology uses two indices to measure these elements:

1. A pedestrian potential index measuring factors that favor walking

2. An infrastructure defi ciency index measuring the absence or defi ciency of pedestrian facilities

Defi ciency examples:

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Potential Defi ciencies

Improvement Need

PRIORITIZATION EXAMPLE: SACRAMENTO

The City of Sacramento, California recently developed a detailed prioritization process. Even though some parts

of the City, such as the Downtown and Midtown areas, have the highest walking potential, these areas are not

top priorities because existing pedestrian facilities are good. Industrial areas in the southern part of Sacramento

have many defi ciencies, but little walking potential and are also not high priorities for capital improvements.

The Northgate and Fruitridge areas, which combine high walking potential (due to high residential density, mix

of land uses and low auto ownership rates) and high defi ciencies (many areas with missing sidewalks, few street

lights, and many diffi cult street crossings) emerged as some of the highest priority areas.

The process for selecting high priority areas in other communities is similar to the process being used by some

jurisdictions for the preparation of ADA Transition Plans for streets and sidewalks. The recent Barden v. City of

Sacramento Supreme Court settlement has heightened concerns and highlighted the need for developing plans to

address obstacles for disabled pedestrians at corners (primarily curb ramps) and mid-block locations (e.g. areas

where a tree reduces the sidewalk width to less than 36 inches). The Ped INDEX methodology is an effective tool

for prioritizing improvements because it identifi es the areas where the need is highest and allows jurisdictions to

demonstrate that they have a plan for addressing current defi ciencies. The plan is not obligated to identify every

ADA obstacle, but rather to have the intent to address all known obstacles. The presumption in a plan of this

nature, which focuses its efforts on top priority locations, is that once these locations are addressed, the City

will conduct another iteration of the Ped INDEX process to identify the next priority areas and develop capital

improvement projects for those areas. In this way, the City can demonstrate that its intent is to incrementally

improve walking conditions for all pedestrians, able-bodied and disabled.

BasicBasicUpgradedUpgraded

PremiumPremium

Block Conditions

Traffi c Conditions

Intersection Conditions

Infrastructure Defi ciencies

Final Rankingof ProposedImprovment Projects

Street SegmentsRanked by Composite Rating

Ratings for EachStreet Segment

Staff & AdvisoryCommittee Review

Walking Potentials

Demographic/Economic Need

Proximity toDestinations

PedestrianEnvironment

Signifi cantPolicy Areas

IMPROVEMENT NEED

Areas of strong walking potential are grouped into four categories: demographic and economic need for walking, proximity to meaningful destinations, pedestrian environment (factors correlated with the choice to walk), and important policy boundaries. Infrastructure defi ciencies and traffi c conditions are measured according to the indicators such as sidewalk coverage, curb ramp defi ciencies, street lighting, pedestrian collision locations, and topography.

Pedestrian improvement need is based on a composite score of pedestrian potential and infrastructure defi ciency. Areas with a high pedestrian potential score and a high level of defi ciency are identifi ed as having the highest priority– improvements in these areas will improve walkability where it is most needed..

PRODUCTS OF THE PED INDEX

The walking potential and pedestrian defi ciencies components of the Ped INDEX will yield several useful products.

1. Capital Improvement Areas – Pedestrian potential data can be composited with defi ciencies data to yield locations with the highest need for improvements. Streets and neighborhoods with a high improvement need can be grouped into CIP project areas.

2. Determination of improvement levels (basic, upgraded, or premium pedestrian environments) – The determination of the appropriate level of pedestrian environment will be based on the pedestrian potential index. For example, areas with pedestrian potential scores in the top percentiles may receive premium environments and the next highest percentiles may receive upgraded environments (See following page).

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SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AREAS

As with capital improvements, schools likely to benefi t the most from Safe

Routes to School programs can be identifi ed. This analysis can be even more

benefi cial when coupled with spatial data about the physical environment

around schools.

Types of Pedestrian Improvements

Basic Upgraded Premium

Street Facilities • Sidewalks• Curb/gutter• Curb ramps• Obstacles removed• Street lighting

All basic items, and:• Street trees, landscaping• Benches at bus stops

All upgraded items, and:• Wayfi nding signs & kiosks• Street furniture• Outdoor eating areas• Shade/shelter structures

Crossing Treatments • Crosswalks• Accessible pedestrian signals

All basic items, and:• Increased lateral separation• Pedestrian islands• Bulb-outs• High visibility crosswalks• Raised crosswalks• Other vehicle speed control

All upgraded items, and:• Grade separation• Special traffi c signaling

Reduced Distances

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• Shortcuts for pedestrians• Midblock crossing

All upgraded items, and:• Dense housing• Dense employment• Transit access

Added Interest

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• Public art• Show windows• Vendor carts• Street fairs

3. Detailed mapping – Detailed GIS maps can be created to represent pedestrian districts, walking routes, and “nodes” of high intensity pedestrian activity. Maps of high-collision locations, or “hotspots,” can also be developed and represented to convey information spatially about pedestrian safety needs to decision makers, elected offi cials, and the public.

4. Capital Improvement Projects – Subsequent to identifying key capital improvement areas (Part 1), study area limits and facility needs can be identifi ed. Key considerations are whether pedestrian solutions involve items beyond pedestrian infrastructure improvements such as considerations for zoning changes to promote/improve pedestrian supportive land uses and considerations for broader circulation changes (including road diets, traffi c calming, off-street pedestrian and multi-use accessways, and transit enhancements).

The fi nal component of the capital improvements process is to prioritize individual projects. While the top study areas can be selected solely through the Ped INDEX prioritization process, the process can also incorporate additional factors such as cost/benefi t ratio and community support as established through the public involvement process and the review and approval process with a community’s boards and commissions, and ultimately the City Council. Projects can also be grouped based on the likely funding for which they would compete.

VISION FOR CAPITAL

IMPROVEMENT AREAS

The Pedestrian INDEX process enables identifi ed improvement areas to be transformed into lively, walkable pedestrian corridors. What exists today as an unappealing pedestrian realm with few facilities may become tomorrow’s walkable, tree-shaded streets – full of people and activity.

Vacant parcels in Pedestrian Capital Improvement project areas are ideal places to begin creating the walkable pedestrian environments. If developed as pedestrian-friendly places consistent with the goals of a community’s Pedestrian Master Plan, they will quickly evolve into lively neighborhood destinations, stimulating further growth and investment. Through effective pedestrian planning, communities can support and work closely with private developers, especially in project areas, to facilitate creation of walkable, vibrant pedestrian environments.

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