"Building a seamless transport system through walking" – Winnie Lam

2012 Annual Summit, Leipzig Seamless Transport: Making Connections

2012 YOUNG RESEARCHER AWARD

Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM Department of Geography The University of Hong Kong

for her Paper entitled:

“Building a Seamless Transport System through Walking”

2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

ABSTRACT The challenge of seamlessness in the transport system necessitates for effective reforms at the most fundamental levels of the system – the pedestrian system. Walking plays a dominant role in terms of mobility in both the developing and developed world. While the potential benefits associated with walking have been generally recognized, governments lacking either the political vision or will to address its importance, together with citizens' changing attitudes toward walking, are major hurdles in promoting its use.

This study proposes a path-based walkability audit which explicitly evaluates the walking environment. It is evaluated based on three key components, safety, comfort and convenience. To illustrate, the pedestrian environment surrounding three elderly health centers (EHC) in Hong Kong were examined.

The results show that pedestrian safety has been given priority above pedestrian’s comfort and convenience. Nonetheless, they should all be fully considered to promote active transport. The assessment tool has clear yet flexible criteria to adapt to the diverse cultures and geography. It can be used as part of a focused assessment process. Finally, the paper recommends the use of a “plan, do, study, act” (PDSA) cycle of the walkability audit for the strategic planning of a seamless transport system.

Keywords: active transport, pedestrian, walkability

1. Introduction: A Walkable Community for a Seamless Transport System Cities are facing great challenges in this era of globalization. Examples include rising fuel prices, worsening climatic condition, growing traffic congestion, expanding urban sprawl and prevailing obesity epidemic associated with sedentary lifestyle. Transport policy has important impact on every aspect of people’s life. In such, future planning requires attention to address these issues to meet the changing economic, social and environmental needs of societies (Janelle and Beuthe 1997). Among various strategies, active transport planning has aroused considerable interest in recent years as a potential means to address many of the issues associated with the current transport development.

In brief, active transport refers to any form of human-powered transport such as walking, cycling, wheel-chairing and their variants (Burbidge and Goulias 2009, Saelens et al. 2003).

People need to stay connected. The creation of a seamless transport system will require the coordination between the various modes of transport in order to facilitate the integral movement of people. Within and across the multiple modes of transport, a key facilitative mechanism in the achievement of seamlessness is walking. Of the many potential methods of active travel, walking is by far the most popular mode. It is the utmost fundamental and integral part of the overall transport system (Hathway 2000).

There is a wide range of well-publicized co-benefits associated with walking. These

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stretch beyond transport to public health, environment and the socioeconomic aspects (Litman 2003, Rippe et al. 1988). In this way, encouraging walking is viewed as the most cost‐effective tactic to create connected cities for sustainability. Policies target at improving and expanding the existing pedestrian system is believed to increase the number of pedestrian trips and improving access to transit, thus providing pedestrian access and connectivity in all transport modes.

The term “walking” in this context refers to trips untaken by any pedestrians traveling on foot as well as those mobility impaired person using wheelchairs. It is important to remember that the pedestrian system should cater the needs of people of all abilities and should design to make walking feasible and enjoyable. Streets need to be versatile and provide for people from different backgrounds. This is highly relevant to address the problems confronting the transport-disadvantaged group. Some population groups commonly cited include women, young children, the elderly and those who do not have access to cars (Falcocchio and Cantillit 1974). They are more reliant on walking in meeting their daily needs. In addition, these users are more likely to be dependent on transit use. Very often, transit-linkage can be improved through a more enabling pedestrian system. A vast majority of transit users are pedestrians at the point they access these facilities (Litman 2003). Hence, the challenge of seamlessness in the transport system necessitates for effective reforms at the most fundamental levels of the system – the pedestrian system. Succinctly put, the accent is on improving walkability within an urban setting which provides people opportunity for easy access to daily needs.

It should facilitate movement and connection. Walkability refers broadly to the conduciveness of the urban environment to walking. It is defined as the extent to which the physical environment supports and encourages walking activity. It is defined as ‘the quality of walking conditions, including factors such as the existence of walking facilities and the degree of walking safety, comfort, and convenience’ (Litman 2003).

This paper advocates a shift in emphasis to expanding and improving existing pedestrian facilities to promote active transport for a seamless transport system. It aims to raise the awareness of walkability as an important issue in developing the future pedestrian system. In the next section, the needs and challenges facing national and local governments in improving walkability are highlighted. Afterwards, a methodological approach to enhance the pedestrian experience is proposed and demonstrated with Hong Kong as a test case. The tool is designed to assist government agencies to understand the scope and extent of the local pedestrian conditions better. This could provide essential piece of information in promoting walking. Lastly, this paper concludes by way of suggesting the broader application and implications of the audit tool for the design of seamless mobility.

2. Walking in the Transport Planning: Needs and Challenges Walking plays a dominant role in terms of mobility in both the developing and developed economies in the world. Nonetheless, it has been largely neglected in the process of transport planning and research worldwide. Figure 1 shows the modal splits for major cities in different regions, gathered from various local and national transport organizations. Contemporary, walking has largely been marginalized at the expense of motorized modes. Streets are more conduits for enhanced motorized traffic rather than part of the public realm for pedestrian experience. This problem is more acute in the developed economies in the West where there is a high share of motorized individual transport in the choice of transport mode.

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2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

Figure 1 Modal split by cities and regions Sources: European Platform on Mobility Management (2012); Land Transport Authority (2011), and Mbara (2002).

In both developed and developing world, a lack of focus on walkable urban design has been cited as a key contributor for major public health epidemics such as obesity and exposure to air pollutants, road traffic injuries and fatalities (Frank et al. 2004, Schwarz 2001). It is also linked to worsening traffic conditions and the resultant deteriorated urban environment. To mitigate the negative impacts associated with the prevailing autocentric development, there has been a revival in interests in the potential of active transport planning in the West. For example, the Portland Bureau of Transportation developed a blueprint to develop the pedestrian network in 2002. It stresses the level of convenience, safety and attractiveness of the pedestrian system to encourage walking activity (City of Oakland 2002). Similarly, a Walking Strategy was adopted by the City Council of Toronto in 2009. Guidelines and projects that focus on improving the pedestrian environment have been clearly set out (City of Toronto 2012). Also, the Active Transportation Summit has been held in Philadelphia in 2011 to discuss issues pertaining to active transport development.

The picture in the East, however, paints a grim picture. Cities in Asia are experiencing unprecedented growth. The impact of this upsurge growth is generating much pressure on the transport system. The system in Asia is facing problems resulted from the continuing population growth, rapid urbanization, suburban sprawl, rising incomes and the resultant skyrocketing motor vehicle ownership and use (Pendyala and Kitamura 2007). Notwithstanding the increasing acceptance of the importance and the role of walking in meeting people’s needs for a sustainable future, the integration of it into the daily routine has not been recognized, especially in the fast growing Asian developing nations. In the globalizing world, policy makers in the developing world are more focusing in promoting the concept of global city, a city which is featured with efficient transport system connected with high speed and large infrastructural

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development; these include airports and expressways to increase intra- and inter-city as well as global connectivity. For instance, within the 30 years of development of Chinese economy, the country already has the world’s second longest expressway system next to the United States (China Knowledge 2005). With increasing participation in the global economy in the past decades, rapid growth has become the key characteristic of this part of the region. In particular, the double-digit economic growth of China over the past decade has fueled the dramatic increase in motorization. China became the biggest market for cars in 2009, by passing the United States (van Dijk 2011). Speedy growth rates of the two population giants - China and India - and the implications for further transport development should be carefully looked into.

The share of walking is continuing to decline in developing Asia (Leather et al.

2011). A study conducted by the Asian World Bank (2011) has discovered that walking mode share is declining across Asian cities. The majority of the people have shifted to two-wheelers and cars as their main modes of transport. With rising income, walking is regarded as an inferior transport modes associated with poverty that could degrade the society’s image (Asian Development Bank 2003). Motor vehicles have emerged as a critical source of air pollutants in the developing Asia. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the Asian urban population is exposed to particulate matter concentrations above the stated guidelines from the World Health Organization (Faiz and Sturm 2002).

On the other hand, traffic crashes in the developing Asian nations represent 90 percent of global road traffic deaths and 85 percent of road traffic disability adjusted life years (Nantulya and Reich 2002). Similarly, the developed economies in Asia have continuedreliance on motorized vehicles; this also saps the sustainable development of the region.

But different from the developing Asia is that as the societies become affluent, citizens’ expectations on mobility have also changed. There is a rising concern for universal design and more comfortable pedestrians’ environment. Pedestrianized zones and multi-layering pedestrian networks are more prevalent in the developed Asia. Taking Hong Kong and Japan as examples, permeable networks interlinking streets and buildings forms a complete pedestrian infrastructure. Not only are elevated pedestrian system implemented to enhance pedestrian experience, underground shopping arcades are also common in the downtown areas (Rotmeyer 2006).

Even though developed and developing countries have different tasks in planning seamless mobility through the development of the pedestrian network, there is a realization that safety is still one of the most important issues to confront contemporary transport policy. Data revealed that more than one million people were killed each year due to transport-related crashes (Longley 2004). Further, pedestrian injuries and facilities are not uncommon despite the advanced development of economies. For example, Hong Kong had the highest share of pedestrian deaths (two thirds of all fatal accidents) among all Asian countries (Hoque and Alam 2002). Moreover, it is critical to note that demographic patterns are also ever changing worldwide. The ageing population is likely to be the key issue in transport planning and development in the coming years.

The system should become more responsive to cater the needs of its users. The construction of effective, cross-cutting and systemic strategies should be evolved and respond to the challenges ahead.

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3. Strategies to Promote Walking A more people-oriented development to promote walking represents a highly costefficient transport strategy to achieve seamless mobility. It is to this overarching philosophy that local and regional governments should be committed to developing projects and schemes to encourage walking to be more widely used as a major mode of transport. Nevertheless, there are sometimes practical problems associated with promoting walking. As documented in this paper, there are a number of possibilities which may have contributed to the decrease importance in walking as a mode of transport for all. One of the biggest problems to promote walking is the danger and inconveniences associated with it (Pucher and Dijkstra 2003). Pedestrian injuries from fast-moving traffic (Loo and Tsui 2009), exposure to traffic‐related air pollutants (Wijnen et al. 1995), the risk of tripping as a result of uneven pavements (Hunt et al. 1991), injury in collisions with street furniture, all prevent walking or make walking unfriendly and undesirable to the users. In addition, inadequate, unattractive and substandard pedestrian facilities make walking unattractive, forcing pedestrians to make detours.

Such environment will create negative perception among potential users on its use.

These give rise to numerous seams in the system which may find difficult to clear.

Besides the built environment, the immediate social environment plays a role in affecting the adoption of walking as a daily commuting mode. A person’s cognition (such as perception and attitude) and personal variables (such as socioeconomic status) exert influence on a person’s intension to engage in walking (Godin 2007). These hurdles to a great extent characterize the contemporary transport system and contribute to major seams in promoting the integration of walking into citizens’ daily routine.

This state of affairs is that there is an absence of clearly articulated goals by governments to promote walking. Pedestrian facilities and amenities should be evaluated and adjusted to make walking an enjoyable activity. Supportive initiatives require farresearching refinement of the current transport system which has no clear policies guiding the promotion of walking activity at the whole system. As a result, the urge to provide the requisite pedestrian infrastructure to enable walkable experience holds the key. Government should pay special attention towards active mode as a part of national and local urban transport strategy. These include the more extensive adoption of smart growth principles. It promotes land use patterns that are compact, transit-oriented, mixed-use within walkable distances (Handy et al. 2005, Farr 2008). To make walking trips feasible and enjoyable, the promotion of walking has to be combined with transport land-use strategies in order to minimize the distances to be travelled. Wherever possible, the opportunities which citizens need to reach should be accessible by walking from their residences. Moreover, pedestrian oriented policy including more extensive pedestrianization scheme can make places more attractive. It is also suggested that the defects identified in the current system are suitable triggers for refinement and correction.

As a result, this study advocates the implementation of a walkability audit as a guiding policy framework. In particular, a path-based walkability audit protocol is put forwarded in this study to improve the pedestrian system. This audit tool enables one to identify the many impediments in the system to achieving the goal of seamlessness of the transport system at the micro-level of its operations.

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2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

4. Walkability Audit The eventual value of walking in supporting seamless connection to opportunities in life will ultimately depend on the quality of the walking environment. This section focuses on the use of the proposed path-based walkability audit tool to facilitate the understanding of the nature and importance of walkability. This detailed audit tool at the pedestrian level is a highly cost effective tool used to collect information about the walking environment in a targeted area for improvement. The goals of this framework is to identify factors that make up a good walkable environment and provides guidance on how to improve its pedestrian infrastructure to promote active travel for all. Communities that promote walking can on one hand, promote active living. On the other hand, they also afford greater employment, education, recreation, and consumer opportunities that can make the community more livable.

4.1.

Specification of Audit

This path-based audit offers a comprehensive review of the walking environment. It is further divided into two main subsystems – sidewalks and crosswalks. The assessment involved a multi-step process (Error! Reference source not found.). The first step was the identification of the boundary of the study area. Data are collected for all identified walking paths from major transit stations to the locations of interest. Transit stations are treated as nodes since the integration between transit and the walking environment are critical to the success of integral movement. Using geographical information system (GIS), calculate, either by observation, inference or reported paths from the citizens, the most likely pedestrian routes between transit stations and the locations of interest within the study area. Eventually, assembling a network of routes that make up the most common walking routes to the destinations.

a. Identification of Study Area b. Identfication of Major Routes to Centre c. Segmentation of Paths d. Walkability Assessment Figure 2. Processes of Assessment Next, the walkability audit is conducted using pre�designed Walkability Survey Sheets (WSS). The characteristics of sidewalks and crosswalks are recorded on them.

There are three forms generated to examine the different aspects of the pedestrian system. The first one is on the evaluation of pedestrian sidewalks (Appendix 1) and the second one is on assessing pedestrian road-crossing facilities. It is further subdivided into two sheets, one for marked/unmarked surface crosswalks (Appendix 2) and the other form for overpasses or underpasses (Appendix 3). The parameters taken into

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consideration have been developed both from the existing theoretical understandings, existing literature and data gathered from fieldworks. After standards have been clearly defined, it must then be determined whether the current pedestrian systems have met the standards. Parameters are classified by the three dimensions of pedestrian (A) safety, (B) comfort and (C) convenience. These dimensions are derived from the desirable characteristics which influence one’s propensity to walk and how long one is willing to walk (Lee and Moudon 2004). Pedestrian safety is one of the primary considerations in walkability studies. Pedestrians injured in crashes, such as the elderly, are especially vulnerable to severe injury and mortality (Loo and Tsui 2009). Pedestrian comfort implies increased walking ease. It is affected by a number of factors related to temperature, crowdedness, coherence and ambiance of neighborhood (Prokopy 1974). Comfort in accessing locations of interest is important for people to incorporate walking into their regular daily activities. Pedestrian convenience can be improved through the adoption of Universal Design. It is a philosophical approach seeking to eliminate barriers in the pedestrian environment. It refers to features and designs of the built environment that enhance optimal function and convenience for everyone but may vary for different places (Rigby et al. 2008).

Parameters were measured in an ordinal scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).

Basically, all data are divided into quartiles for easy comprehension and higher applicability in wider contexts. Differential weighing is not applied in this study because of the lack of any scientific and objective “weight” to reflect on the specific trade-offs or relative importance of parameters of very different nature, such as traffic volume and lift availability. Nonetheless, should these “weights” be obtained by using statistical methods, such as principle component analysis, or other scientific methods, such as attitudinal surveys of pedestrians in that area, differential weighing can be easily applied. In fact, the attitudinal surveys are preferred because local contexts and pedestrians’ preferences can vary greatly in different cities even within the same nation. There are scientific merits of having a “universal” walkability audit forms and weighing system to reflect the strength of relationships of each parameter with walkability. Nonetheless, they are not realistic, and some flexibility in the WSS should be built in to allow different parameters and their relative weights to vary to reflect geographical differences.

To facilitate the data collection process, the electronic WSS are embedded on ArcPad geographic information system installed in handheld personal-digital assistants (PDAs) (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Walkability Audit using Personal-Digital Assistants

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2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

A three-step audit procedure offers a cost effective way to fully understand and evaluate the pedestrian environment. Firstly, pre-assessment is conducted with an intensive desktop search using Google Street View (Google Inc 2011) and other online map services. This step provides a fast, integrated and convenient way to collect relevant data in advance. On‐site assessment is then conducted to collect information not readily available from these sources and to check for consistency of “virtual data” with field data.

Post-assessment is conducted so that parameters not covered by the fieldworks can be added back. Examples include traffic volume data from transport authorities and pedestrian crash data from polices and hospitals.

Each walking path contained within the study area consists of different road segments, including continuous pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalks. The assessment of different indicators of walkability is weighted by the segment length. Each walking path will receive a walkability index, which is the sum of scores of walkability indicators assigned to each road segment. In other words, each study area will have multiple indices, depending on the number of walking paths lying within the study area. The average of these walkability indices will reflect the overall quality of the pedestrian environment in the vicinity of the location of interest. After that, Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to appraise the internal consistency reliability. The test is used to examine whether the variables collected are internally homogeneous. It also helps to tell how well they measure a single construct, that is, walkability. A value of 0.7 is conventionally regarded as an acceptable level for constructing composite indicators (Child et al. 1997, Cozza et al. 2006, Muijs 2004). After computation, the overall walkability scores of paths for each study area are presented on maps to give an immediate visual account. It helps to highlight underscored locations which require. In order to have a better understanding of the walkability of the study area, radar charts are used to illustrate the average scores of different walking paths with the various walkability indicators. The radar chart is a very useful tool for displaying the scores of multiple indicators in a single diagram. It can help researchers and policy-makers to obtain insights into the dimensions of walking paths that score well and dimensions that deserve special attention. By showing the various components of the average walkability index in this way, it is easier to document the current conditions of the walking environment and to identify areas of improvements for creating more pedestrian-friendly streets. It is suggested that indicators with low scores ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 require immediate attention for improvement, scores ranging from 2.1 to 4.0 represent average performance, while scores greater than 4.0 represent good practices. Overall, the more complete is the “spider web” the closer is the pedestrian environment to the best practices. Besides, blank areas in the radar chart indicate rooms for improvement.

4.2.

An Illustration from Hong Kong

In order to assist in the operationalization of the framework, Hong Kong is used as the test case for the audit tool. The city has many of the elements which are analogous to smart growth principles guiding the development of walkable cities. Hong Kong is a classic example of a compact city (Mahtab-uz-Zaman et al. 2000). Though there is no official statistics on walking, the heavy reliance on transit justifies the importance of walking in daily commuting. A previous study showed that the percentage of citizens who rely on transit rose from 73 percent in 1973, to 87 percent in 1988 and further to over 90 percent in the millennium (Lam et al. 2004).

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To make the discussion more specific, this paper examines whether the elderly people in Hong Kong are provided with a walkable environment in accessing health care facilities. A good walkable neighborhood linking essential amenities is a key contributor to maintaining the everyday life activities of people. The unprecedented ageing phenomenon poses multiple challenges worldwide. With reference to Hong Kong’s experiences, this study demonstrates how to utilize the audit for specific quantification and modification of the walking environment to promote walking for seamless mobility.

In this paper, neighborhood surrounding three elderly heath centers (EHCs) in the city are selected for detailed illustration purpose (Figure 4). Since 1999, the Department of Health of Hong Kong has established one EHC in each of the 18 districts over the territory to provide comprehensive primary health care services to senior citizens. The three centres selected for investigation are based on the rationale that they are located in the districts having the highest proportion of the elderly among the respective broad geographical classification of the city (Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories).

Furthermore, a comparison of the three communities with distinctive built environment characteristics can yield more detailed information for the creation of walkable communities. Wan Chai EHC on Hong Kong Island is located at the commercial heart of the city. While San Po Kong EHC is located in the oldest residents district, Wong Tai Sin District. The area is dominated by industrial land use. Kwai Shing EHC is located in the suburban area. The area is a comparatively pure residential zone and mainly dominated by public housing estates. Before moving on, an analysis of the major mode used by the elderly to access health care facilities provide some background information on the travel mode choice of the senior population. The data was calculated from the official travel survey (Transport Department 2002). Two modes were most frequently used by the elderly for medical trips. They were buses (35.4 percent) and walking (19.4 percent). It is not surprising because the total passenger journeys for buses in Hong Kong (3,964,000 trips) made up a large percentage (34.4 percent) of the city’s total trips (Transport Department 2008). It offers the flexibility to cover wide areas that cannot be covered by other transit. Walking is also of great importance as it can be an independent mode of travel which can also provide connections with other modes of transport (Litman 2003).

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2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

Figure 4. Study Area

In brief, there were 23, 14 and 10 paths identified as possible routes to reach Wan Chai, San Po Kong and Kwai Shing EHCs. The assessments were conducted in December, 2011. This assessment consists of 45 variables reflecting the walkability of the walking paths, with 21 items for sidewalks and 24 items for crosswalks. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to appraise the internal consistency reliability. After an empirical test of the model, a total of 20 variables was included in the final model (see Table 1). The final model for the sidewalks walkability has a Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of 0.87 while for the two types of crosswalks were 0.76 (surface crossings) and 0.9 (overpasses/underpasses).

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2012 Young Researcher Award Winner: Winnie W.Y. LAM

Table 1. Parameters in the Walkability Audit

To facilitate visualization, the overall walkability indices of the three study areas are shown in Table 2. As shown in the figure, the path-based walkability indices were in the moderate to high range, varying from the lowest 7.30 to the highest 13.17 (with 15 being the highest possible index). The findings indicate that the walkability for the neighborhood surrounding the selected EHCs was above average. For better, interpretation, radar charts are used to illustrate the average scores of different parameters.

Among the three, Wan Chai EHC has the highest average score. The elderly are said to be provided with a comparatively walkable environment within the city. This could be linked to the more mixed and compact land use found in the vicinity of the study area.

The high density developments blended with great transit diversity in the area are all factors more favorable to pedestrian system development. To accommodate the high pedestrian density in the buzzling urban core, better designed pedestrian infrastructures are provided in the area. The study area has an extensive elevated walkway system linking major centers. The underground passages found in the subway system also provide directed routes to various destinations. The creation of pedestrian-oriented environment through the development of pedestrian priority areas helps to enhance the overall walkability. San Po Kong EHC scores in between. Comparatively, it scores highly in the safety dimension. One contributing factor is the large-scale underpass system linking the bus terminus with other area of the study area. This helps to ensure that pedestrians are safe from on-road vehicular traffic. While Kwai Shing EHC has the lowest average score, the pure residential development has been designed to accommodate the efficient flow of vehicular traffic.

To further enhance pedestrian experiences, some recommendations for improvement are provided: for Wan Chai EHC, the provision of more barrier-free facilities such as more lifts could further enhance walkability of the neighborhood. Though equipped with a multi-layering pedestrian system with overpasses and underpasses, the type of crossing controls for surface crossings still require improvement in the study area.

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Convenient signalized traffic crosswalks should be provided to give a good split for both vehicle traffic and pedestrians. Greater effort to provide a more pedestrian-friendly environment in high-density traffic areas would help to enhance the well-being of all citizens. For San Po Kong EHC, more signage and utilities for pedestrians could further improve walkability. Effort to provide a clear, complete system of signs and maps, such as in the underground facilities, can assist people in way finding and maintain spatial orientation (Sterling 1993). It can direct pedestrians to the most direct route and reduce confusion and uncertainty among them. These help to reduce anxiety in way-finding. To refine the current pedestrian system surrounding Kwai Shing EHC, opportunities for more street activities together with covered and widen crosswalks can provide inducement to walk. More attractions and activities together with resting places could make people feel walking much appealing. This has a positive impact in reducing emotional distances in traveling to destination. Hence, increasing land use mix should be considered to develop a more enjoyable pedestrian atmosphere. Finally, one commonality among the three study areas is that the safety component has the highest sub-score. Pedestrian safety has been given priority above pedestrian’s comfort and convenience. Nevertheless, they should all be fully considered in the design of a walkable neighborhood to promote active transport.

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Table 2. Maps showing the walkability index of study

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Figure 5. Radar Charts of the Overall Average Walkability Index

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5.

Conclusion

The challenge of seamlessness in transport system is a large one that necessitate for effective treatment from new perspectives and reforms at the various levels of the system. The paper addressed this complexity through looking at the most fundamental part of the system – the pedestrian system. A coherent, attractive and enabling pedestrian network is required to facilitate people’s mobility and connection with different places. Given the characteristics of the present transport development, attention to develop a system to effectively respond to its social, environmental and economic development priorities is urgently needed. Further, transport strategy must take into account regional and global realities. The system should be designed to eliminate all physical, social and environmental barriers to access opportunities for all persons, regardless of age gender and ethnicity. In such, policies and plans that promote walking take cognizance of all these realities.

The detailed walkability audit has enabled one to identify the many impediments in the system to achieving the goal of seamlessness. It is devised by capturing the salient pedestrian issues and the key concerns related to the promotion of walking. It has clear yet flexible criteria, which may be changed to incorporate community standards and values. The tool can be applied by both local and regional governments as a focused assessment process. Alternatively, it can be used to facilitate discussion between local authorities and stakeholders in their joint attempts to make progress towards a more walkable society. As a step further to create seamless mobility using the tool, attitudinal surveys of users’ preferences of routes could be conducted to enrich the framework.

Further studies that collect such information would make it possible to analyze pedestrians’ walking path choice as a function of multiple indicators of the pedestrian environment. These would yield useful insights for better urban designs that promote walking.

Above all, this framework provides standards for future development and planning.

It takes into consideration in how to make the system more responsive to the needs of pedestrians. It assists in guiding the action of government agencies whose actions currently contribute to the seams in the system. The walkability audit helps one to develop an understanding of the vision behind what constitutes a walkable environment for the local context, before moving on to develop a strategy for creating the necessary change to implement these specific targets. To conclude, a “plan, do, study, act (PDSA)” cycle should be advocated. After conducting the walkability audit, progress made in improving the pedestrian environment should be monitored and reviewed and new audit should be formulated, reviewed and implemented to create a truly walkable environment for all.

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Appendices Appendix 1 – Sidewalk Survey Sheet Appendix 2 – Crosswalk Survey Sheet – Marked/Unmarked Crossing Appendix 3 - Crosswalk Survey Sheet – Overpass/ Underpass

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