Application of Level-of-Service Methods for Evaluation of Operations at Pedestrian Facilities

Several methods for assessment of the quality of operations of pedestrian facilities on the basis of pedestrian level of service (LOS) have been proposed. Some of these methods use the principles of vehicular traffic to evaluate pedestrian traffic operations. Other methods are more concerned with the facility design and walking environment than with the actual pedestrian flows. To draw a complete picture of LOS determination methods for pedestrian facilities, it is necessary to review, compare, and contrast the various methods in the literature that assess quality of service for pedestrian facilities. This paper compares some of the more common and widely accepted methods for determination of the pedestrian LOS at sidewalks. These include the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 method, the Australian method, the Trip Quality method, the Landis model, and the conjoint analysis approach. After the methods and their associated measured criteria are described, a total of 13 sidewalks at two study sites were evaluated. The study sites are located in the downtown area of Birmingham, Alabama, and represent pedestrian operations at urban sidewalks. The comparison provides useful information on the consistency of the outcomes from the various methods and identifies needs for modifications and improvements. This is particularly useful in determining possible improvements to the existing Highway Capacity Manual 2000 method in the upcoming version of the Highway Capacity Manual.