Questionnaire Approach on Walkability Index: A Potential Method Towards Pedestrian Safety Measures

In this research, walking facilities and scopes for improvement of a major urban arterial of Dhaka city has been investigated. In order to ensure Progati Sarani as an ideal walkable area, walkability needs to be enhanced as walking is an essential and effective medium of sustainable urban transport.

The supreme aim of this research is to determine the walkability indices of these particular areas and to find appropriate pedestrian safety measures for the sake of better and safe environment for pedestrians. A short field survey and a brief questionnaire survey were carried out for the completion of this study.

The research identifies the most vulnerable areas for pedestrians in commercial areas of eastern part of Dhaka city. Notable hazards are roadway obstructions, road infrastructure deficiency, crossing facilities, motorists behaviours, safety and security etc.

Finally, the overall walkability index has been calculated which is found to be approximately 38.8 out of total 100, considered as less walkable. This result is not satisfactory if it is compared to other major Asian cities. However, a huge volume of pedestrian movement is observed in the study area, most of whom are working class people and students. In such a situation, efforts should be given in formulating policies to promote walking as a priority mode of sustainable transportation system. Achieving a safe and congenial environment by incorporating road environmental safety measures along with road user's behavioural improvement is fundamentally important for the betterment of all sorts of pedestrians, particularly for ensuring their legitimacy and safety.