Using Micro-Level Data to Evaluate Infrastructure of the Walking Environment Around Bus Rapid Transit Stations:A Case Study of Xiamen,China

摘要

China has experienced rapid car-oriented suburbanization during the past decades and is facing emerging challenges such as traffic congestion,air pollution,and even health threats.Learning from North American cities,Chinese cities have started adopting and implementing a Transit-Oriented Development(TOD) strategy,which encourages the transit ridership and walking trips by creating a pedestrian-friendly urban environment.Although much research has examined the walking environment in various neighborhoods or communities,few existing studies have examined the walking environment around transit stations,especially using micro-level data,such as walking infrastructure variables.This research chooses several infrastructure variables that are critical for pedestrians to investigate the walking environment around stations of the Bus Rapid Transit(BRT) No.1 Line in Xiamen City,China.This study defines a half mile buffer centered on each station as the spatial unit of analysis.The Geographic Information System(GIS) and field audits are employed to measure the characteristics of the infrastructure for pedestrians in each spatial unit of analysis.The results of this analysis can help assess the existing conditions of the infrastructure for pedestrians in each station area,which might need to be added or improved.The findings will not only provide empirical support for improving TODs in Xiamen,but also offer a lesson on how areas around transit stations could be retrofitted to improve the pedestrian environment.