The built environment and the determination of fault in urban pedestrian crashes: Toward a systems-oriented crash investigation

New paper: Stiles, J. and Miller, H.J. (2024) “The built environment and the determination of fault in urban pedestrian crashes: Towards systems-oriented crash investigation,”  Journal of Transport and Land Use, 17, 97-113.

Abstract: This study identifies built environmental factors that influence the determination of fault in urban pedestrian crashes in the United States, with implications for both safety and equity. Using data from Columbus, Ohio, we apply regression modeling, spatial analysis, and case studies, and find pedestrians are more likely to be found at fault on fast, high-volume arterial roads with bus stops. We also observe that better provision of crossings leads to more marked intersection crashes, which are less likely to be blamed on pedestrians. In addition, large differences in both the provision of crossings and fault exist between neighborhoods. We interpret findings through the lenses of the systems-oriented safety approaches Safe Systems and Vision Zero. The conclusion argues that the designation of individual responsibility for crashes preempts collective responsibility, preventing wider adoption of design interventions as well as systemic changes to the processes that determine the built environment of US roadways.

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Transportation geography group at The Ohio State University

Some of the mighty transportation geographers (and alumni) at The Ohio State University.

(L-R): Ruochen Yin (PhD student), Ahmad Tokey (PhD student), Aniket Sangwan (PhD student), Huyen T.K. Le (Assistant Professor), Armita Kar (PhD, 2023; post-doc at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus), Luyu Liu (PhD, 2023; post-doc at University of Florida),  Abdirashid Dahir (PhD student), Harvey Miller (Professor)

Not shown but in our hearts: Sara Johnson (PhD student), John Layman (Masters student), Manhoush Mostafavi Sabet (PhD student)

Measuring just accessibility within planetary boundaries

New paper: Willberg, E., Tenkanen, H., Miller, H.J., Pereira, R. H. M. and Toivonen, T. (2023) “Measuring just accessibility within planetary boundaries,” Transport Reviews, DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2023.2240958.

Abstract. Our societies struggle to provide a good life for all without overconsuming environmental resources. Consequently, scholarly search for approaches to meet environmental and social goals of sustainability have become popular. In transport research, accessibility is a key tool to characterise linkages between people, transport, and land use. In the current paper, we propose a conceptual framework for measuring just accessibility within planetary boundaries. We reviewed transport studies and discovered a substantial literature body on accessibility and social disadvantage, much vaster compared to the literature around environmental and ecological impacts of accessibility. We also show a gap in approaches that have integrated these two perspectives. Building on the review, we suggest a conceptual framework for incorporating environmental and social sustainability goals in accessibility research. We conclude the paper by pointing to key challenges and research avenues related to the framework, including (i) dealing with uncertainty and complexity in socio-ecological thresholds, (ii) integrating environmental limits into the conceptualisations of transport equity, (iii) measuring accessibility through other costs than travel time, and (iv) integrating both quantitative and qualitative data.