Review of Pedestrian Level of Service: Perspective in Developing Countries

Analyses of pedestrian-related issues have been gaining much attention from researchers in recent years, particularly studies of pedestrian safety and pedestrian level of service (LOS) in developing countries. The focus for evaluating pedestrian LOS has shifted from quantitative methods to qualitative methods and factors to be considered have been changing. Crosswalks (namely, signalized, unsignalized, and midblock) are complex locations because of the interaction of pedestrians with the vehicle flow. Pedestrian LOS at crosswalks is quite different from that on sidewalks. A measure of effectiveness (MOE) is usually adopted for evaluation of pedestrian facilities, and the MOE changes with the type of facility. Pedestrian delay and space at the corner are considered as MOEs for signalized intersections. The MOE might depend on pedestrian safety, delay, available vehicle gaps (crossing difficulty), and behavior of pedestrians as well as that of vehicle drivers at unprotected midblock crosswalks. This study sought to identify the importance of pedestrian LOS in the context of developing countries, particularly at unprotected midblock crosswalks. To achieve this objective, a review of the literature was carried out on the pedestrian LOS at various facilities such as the sidewalk, intersection, and midblock crosswalk. The review highlighted the need for further pedestrian LOS studies at various facilities under mixed traffic.