See the First Complete Map of NYC Walking Traffic

An MIT research group has created the first complete model of pedestrian activity for any U.S. city.

According to an article by  Peter Dizikes in MIT News, “The model could help planners decide where to make pedestrian infrastructure and public space investments, and illuminate how development decisions could affect non-motorized travel in the city.”

The researchers used datasets of sidewalks, crosswalks, and footpaths to map activity and identify locations with high foot traffic and high pedestrian hazards. “And, in an advance that could help cities anywhere, the model was used to quantify vehicle crashes involving pedestrians not only as raw totals, but on a per-pedestrian basis.” This can help planners understand exactly where safety improvements are most needed. 

According to researcher Rounaq Basu, “Places like Times Square and Herald Square in Manhattan may have numerous crashes, but they have very high pedestrian volumes, and it’s actually relatively safe to walk there.” But “There are other parts of the city, around highway off-ramps and heavy car-infrastructure, including the relatively low-density borough of Staten Island, which turn out to have a disproportionate number of crashes per pedestrian.”