Effects of Light Rail Transit System on Pedestrians and Public Transport Users’ Mobility (Case study- Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit Corridor along East-West Line from Ayat to Megenagna)
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Date
2015-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The introduction of Light Rail Transit system in Addis Ababa’s existing road corridors has an
advantage of reducing the demand for vehicles but it will induce additional delays to pedestrians
and passengers mobility due to intervals of LRT crosswalks distance.
The major purpose of this research was to analyze the effects of introducing LRT system in urban
transport design on pedestrians and public transport users’ travel distance and time to cross
crossways of LRT. The study had two objectives; quantifying walking parameters (walking
distance and time) to crossways and testing the effect of LRT system on these parameters when
walking is used as a primary mode and/or an access mode to public transport.
The LRT crossway user survey was conducted by randomly distributing questionnaires to a
sample of 98 pedestrians and passengers at different places who cross through LRT crossways.
Collected crossway user survey includes; access mode choices, trip origins destinations (O-D),
number of cross trip per day and type of LRT crossways. Geometric data of crossways, Video
surveys, pedestrian and traffic count was also conducted to analyze waiting time and crossway
coverage rate (crossway areas).
Walking Distance and Time were analyzed for both scenarios i.e. before and after LRT
construction. A statistical comparison was then conducted by paired t-test and p-value to
determine the significance of the effect on mobility parameters. It is found that the introduction
of LRT would increase walking distance and time to sampled pedestrians by 580.2m and 9min in
a round trip. The increase distance and time in total O-D trips per day would be 752.2 m/day
and 11.4 min/day. The paired t-test test statistic 9.759 greater than 1.663 the critical value and
p-value 2.78*10-16less than 0.05 the significant level, there has been increase in distance due to
LRT constructed or introduced. Overall additional average walking distance to total O-D trips
per day is 752.2 m/day: the additional median walking distance is 568.5 m, with 25% of trips
less than 321.5 m and 75% of walking trips less than 919.5 m.
Mean and Standard deviation of walking distance were calculated to determine which station
posed the longest travel distance to users. The longest travel distance to a station crossway was
observed at station East West two (EW2) with a mean distance of 809.7m in a round trip and
1127.6m/day in total O-D trips per day. While the shortest travel distance was at station East
West six (EW6) with a mean distance of 108.6m in round trip and/or total O-D trips per day. It
was found that a grand mean of 394.3m and 6.1 min and 485.6m and 7.3 min of additional travel
distance and time was induced on users to access each LRT crossings in a round trip and total
O-D trips per day respectively. Overall additional grand mean walking distance to access/reach
on LRT crossways of EW1 to EW8 crossways in total O-D trips per day is 485.6 m/day: the
additional median walking distance is 395.84 m, with 25% of trips less than 262 m and 75% of
walking trips less than 785 m. Walking distance to different mode choices was also quantified
using mean and standard deviation. Accordingly, walk trip mode choice would be more affected
by LRT system.
It is finally concluded that introducing LRT affects both pedestrians and public transport users’
mobility by creating walk distance increment, time delay and mode choice delay. It is
recommended that affordable overpass bridges, pedestrian refuge area and integrate other
transit locations with LRT crossways can potentially reduce the impact.
Keywords: Light Rail Transit, O-D trip, Walk distance, Walk time, Paired t-test, Mode choice
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Keywords
Light Rail Transit; O-D trip; Walk distance; Walk time; Paired t-test; Mode choice