Perceptions of Comfort and Safety for Non-Motorized Road User Interactions in Vancouver

This study examined different perspectives on pedestrian and cyclist interactions on city streets in Vancouver. We investigated systematic differences in the perceptions of interactions among stakeholders using semi-structured interviews and video review by community stakeholders, transportation professionals, and the general public. Dimensions of interaction severity were considered and contrasted, including yielding compliance, traveller comfort, and and perceived risk of injury. The goals of this research were to illuminate the severity of conflicts among non-motorized travellers, provide insights into how different groups of people may view the same interactions, and help the city develop strategies to deescalate conflicts among road users.

Report

Bigazzi, A., M. Winters, G. Gill, and K. Hosford, “Perceptions of Comfort and Safety for Non-Motorized Road User Interactions in Vancouver”, Prepared for City of Vancouver, July 2019.

Journal articles

Bigazzi, A., G. Gill, and M. Winters, “Contrasting perspectives on the comfort and safety of pedestrians interacting with other road users.” Transportation Research Record, Vol. 2675, No. 3, pp. 33-43, 2021.

Gill, G., A. Bigazzi, and M. Winters, “Investigating relationships among perceptions of yielding, safety, and comfort for pedestrians in unsignalized crosswalks.” Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol. 85, pp. 179-194, 2022.

Bardutz, E. and A. Bigazzi, “Communicating perceptions of pedestrian comfort and safety: Structural topic modeling of open response survey comments.” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 14, 2022.

Presentation

Bigazzi, A., M. Winters, G. Gill, “Perceptions of Yielding, Comfort and Safety for Pedestrians at UnsignalizedCrossings (on 10th Avenue)“, City of Vancouver Lunch and Learn, February 2020.