The Effects of Street Repurposing on Pedestrian, Vehicle and Visitor Patterns

Details

• Creators:
  Chen, Lyra ; Chen, Cynthia ; Mooney, Steve
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Washington. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; National Center for Understanding Future Travel Behavior and Demand (TBD) ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Big Data Data Analysis Demographics Economic Analysis Furniture Location-Based Service (LBS) Data Location Based Services Pedestrian Mobility Pedestrian Movement Street Furniture Street Repurposing Streets Urban Areas Urban Design

  More +
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Seattle (Washington)
• Edition:
  Final Report: 2024-2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program
• Abstract:
  This research advances the field of urban mobility by making detailed analyses of the traffic and economic impacts of several different street repurposing projects in Seattle. Using data from Location-Based Services (LBS), the authors evaluate the repurposed street segments in terms of the changes on pedestrian and vehicle traffic, the times visitors were spending right around those streets, and the various kinds of people (socio-demographic). They're looking primarily at interventions in Seattle: Ballard Ave Café Street (2020) and improvements (2022), U-District Outdoor Café (2021) and Green Street (2024), First Ave Public Seating (2023), and Taylor Ave Pickleball Court (2023). The finer-scale approach captures localized behavioral changes and provides insights into visitors’ movement patterns. The study establishes a framework for combining granular mobility and economic analyses, guiding future research to refine LBS data applications and informing policies for vibrant urban spaces. Key findings reveal that curbside dining and public seating significantly increase pedestrian activity and local business, particularly in retail districts, while well-planned street reconfigurations maintain vehicle flow without congestion. Seasonal interventions require alignment with community-active periods, and small-scale recreational projects need targeted marketing to maximize impact.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552344815 ; 69A3552348320
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:97224b4402282a57274bb3ab4637db49945f68eac3fc4423371d4a99dfbccc37dd346a4e665744312ce017140a3d21e0a69a6c7cbc788273379ace2afb1421d8
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/91991/dot_91991_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.40 MB ]