Analysis of factors affecting the choice of route of pedestrians

Pedestrians as compared to vehicular traffic enjoy a high degree freedom of movement even in heavily congested areas. Consequently, there are more alternative links available to pedestrians between a given origin‐destination (O‐D) pair. This paper describes a study done by the University of Calgary to evaluate the factors affecting the choice of route on intra‐CBD trips or trips within the Central Business District (CBD). An origin destination survey conducted in downtown Calgary, Alberta enabled the identification of the most significant factors influencing the choice. These factors were analyzed in relation to the physical characteristics of the location, personal characteristics of the trip maker and the type of the trip. It appears that most people chose the shortest link and factors such as the level of congestion, safety or visual attractions were only secondary. This suggests that the length should be made a major consideration when planning and designing pedestrian links.