AbstractsTransportation

This study defines and determines the characteristics of super pedestrian trips in Washington, D.C. Super pedestrian trips are defined here as trips greater than the third quartile distance based on data from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Household Travel Survey 2010/2011. In this case, super pedestrian trips are quantified as greater than 0.6 miles; super pedestrians are those completing the trip. A trip is defined as one complete segment of travel (i.e., walking directly from home to the office). Using data from the MWCOG Household Travel Survey 2010/2011, this study determines who makes super pedestrian trips in Washington, D.C. and assesses their socio-demographic characteristics using a linear regression model. The results from the linear regression model show that super pedestrians are likely to be young, low-income, male minorities without driver’s licenses or access to vehicles within the household. Pedestrians traveling the farthest distance may do so only out of necessity. The bulk of current planning and transportation literature focuses on the shortest pedestrian travel distances for trips typically less than one-quarter mile. However, pedestrians are walking greater distances and it is worth understanding from a planning and policy perspective the implications of these trips for livability and design of the urban environment. The core findings from this research contribute to the growing body of research on pedestrian behavior by illuminating the socio-demographic characteristics of those walking the farthest distances.