Analysis of Campus Pedestrian Pathways

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Jay Grossman

College

Engineering

Discipline(s)

Civil Engineering - Transportation

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-27-2023

Abstract

Pedestrian traffic is the largest transportation mode in use on campus. It’s a central part of student life on campus. This research project examined pedestrian traffic on the Valparaiso University campus with an aim to both identify the highest pedestrian traffic areas, as well as determine the charactics of the traffic in those areas. We hypothesized that foot traffic would be the greatest at three locations: Gellerson, Harre Union, and Center of Science.

Pedestrian counters were placed throughout campus, with the main focus on the sidewalks that were determined by experience to be the heaviest traveled. The goal was to determine which pathways are most used during a normal class day including the weekends and which routes were the most popular. Pedestrian counting devices were placed at the identified locations and operated for a range of two to four days. All locations included at least two days’ worth of data. The data collection effort was designed to encompass the breakfast, first class of the day, and inter-class passing periods to allow for analysis of these high-traffic times.

The data was compiled by hour and day to allow for more detailed analysis of pedestrian travel behavior. Passing periods and overall pedestrian counts by location were noted. Once all data was compiled, the pathways were compared to determine which locations saw the highest volumes, and when the peak times at those locations occurred. From this data, inferences about the campus buildings generating these volumes, and pedestrian routes between them, could be surmised.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Angela is a senior Environmental Engineering major with a minor in chemistry. Grace is a sophomore Civil Engineering major with a minor in actuarial science.

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