Physical and environmental characteristics of signalized intersections and pedestrian behavior

摘要

A research-team has investigated crossing activities of pedestrians at 10 signalized intersections located in Montreal and 10 signalized intersections in Toronto. This paper is concerned at determining the physical and environmental characteristics of signalized intersections and pedestrian behavior. The dependent variable was defined as whether or not the pedestrian obeyed the green light indicator. The relationship between pedestrian behavior and the physical and environmental characteristics of signalized intersections has been performed through logistic regression. Results indicate that some physical and environmental characteristics at signalized intersections such as a refuge island improve pedestrian behavior, whereas a wider street is associated with an increase in the disobedience of the traffic light. The analysis performed in this work cannot determine if the difference in pedestrian behavior between Montreal and Toronto can be solely attributed to the physical environment of signalized intersections.