Methodology
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The walkability assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of footpaths and critical junctions with the aim of enhancing safety, comfort and being inviting for all. Recognizing that budgets at a ward or city level are limited and cannot cover all the roads that need it, a strategic approach has been devised.
This approach entails the identification of a 'Priority Walking Network (PWN)' within each ward. This network comprises roads that are most frequently used by pedestrians. Moreover, a subset of this PWN, demanding the highest level of attention, is singled out for a thorough evaluation. This subset is referred to as the 'Audit Network,' encompassing a critical selection of footpath segments and junctions.
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The footpath audits consist of mapping 20 types of issues under 5 categories - encroachment, obstruction, waste, footpath quality and safety. While junctions are audited against 6 parameters, combining perception based analysis and infrastructure audits.
The audit data is further analysed on a per road basis / per junction basis as well as an overall ward summary. The data is also further used to generate budget estimations required to fix the infrastructure deficits as per schedule of rates (SoR), used by the government.
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Key questions
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1. What is a priority walking network (PWN)?
This is derived by spatial analysis of road connectivity, importance, traffic density and mapping key destinations such as educational institutions, bus stops, metro stations, commercial areas, parks, religious institutions and hospitals, also known as trip attractors. This network is then evaluated on-ground and finalised in consultation with local residents. Typically this network is an indicator of how connected a ward is and its suitability for walking.
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2. What is an audit network?
The audit network is a subset of the priority walking network, after removing the roads where the footpaths that are in good condition or are due for redevelopment and adding junctions critical to aiding walkability. This evaluation is done through a combination of community consultations and field visits. These footpaths are further broken into 500-800m segments to be allocated to volunteers for auditing.
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3. What are the audit parameters used in the StepUP tool?
Footpath audit parameters
Categories | Issues |
|---|---|
Unsafe areas | Dark zones |
Footpath quality
| Broken footpath, level difference, no footpath |
Waste | Construction debris, blackspots, street litter, silt in roads, silt in drains, yellow spots |
Encroachment | Parking, planters, vendor/shop spillover, construction sites
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Obstruction | Junction boxes, low hanging wires, overgrown weeds, transformers |
Categories | Issues |
|---|---|
Unsafe areas | Dark zones |
Footpath quality
| Broken footpath, level difference, no footpath |
Waste | Construction debris, blackspots, street litter, silt in roads, silt in drains, yellow spots |
Encroachment | Parking, planters, vendor/shop spillover, construction sites
|
Obstruction | Junction boxes, low hanging wires, overgrown weeds, transformers |
Junction audit parameters
Catergories | Issues |
|---|---|
Infrastructure quality | No pedestrian crossing, no pedestrian signal, no street light, signal not working |
On-ground experience of safety | Difficulty to cross, speeding vehicles, vehicles going wrong way |
Catergories | Issues |
|---|---|
Infrastructure quality | No pedestrian crossing, no pedestrian signal, no street light, signal not working |
On-ground experience of safety | Difficulty to cross, speeding vehicles, vehicles going wrong way |
4. How is the audit data analysed?
The data is analysed in two forms. One, by count which represents the count of number of issues mapped in the field. Another is intensity, where the number of issues is divided against the length of footpaths or number of intersections in case of junctions to generate the % of the network that an issue occupies. It must be noted that for the audit the two sides of the footpath were considered as independent stretches, but for the analysis, these have been combined as one segment. Additionally, incase of roads that are on the ward boundary, only the footpath within that ward has been considered.
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5. How are the solutions and budgets estimated?
Using our StepUP issue-solution matrix, all the issues for both footpaths and junctions are matched against various solutions that fall within the categories of - street infrastructure, accessible infrastructure, Signage, Parking, Stormwater management, street lighting, monitoring and management.
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Once matched (to one or more solutions), the solutions that have a cost attached to them, are quantified and budgeted based on the latest schedule of rates (SoR), released by the government. The final amount is an estimate of the tentative budget that needs to be allocated (by the government) to completely improve the footpath or junction and make it walkable.
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6. Can I access / use this data?
The audit data has been collected with the collective effort of various volunteers and active citizens. The parameters and analysis has been developed and is owned by Sensing Local. Since the data is made public, we are excited to explore the usability of this data with various stakeholders who want further the case for walkability in our cities. If you want to use this data, please write to us on info@sensinglocal.in with some detail regarding how you would like to use it. We look forward to collaborating with you!