The opportunity assessment is not based on a field evaluation—it is based on data about these roadway characteristics. Additional information on the factors that were included in the “Walking along the Roadway” and the “Crossing the Roadway” assessments is included in the Appendix.
The presence of sidewalks and the amount of traffic can impact a person's experience walking along a road. Whether there is a physical buffer such as a tree or parked cars may also contribute to their experience. The "Walking Along the Roadway" map groups these types of roadway characteristics together to compare roads throughout the city. It provides a measure of how comfortable it is for a person to walk along different roads by giving points to characteristics that negatively impact walking. A road with a higher number of total points indicates that it may be more uncomfortable to walk along than a road with a lower number of total points.
The map accounts for whether there is a sidewalk on a road or not and whether there is a physical buffer such as a parked car or a tree. It also accounts for the volume and speed of traffic on the road. It is meant to reflect the quality of the physical pedestrian environment along different roads in Seattle. Understanding how roads compare to each other helps to prioritize pedestrian projects. For example, a busy road with no sidewalks needs pedestrian accommodations more than a quiet, narrow road with sidewalks.
Safe street crossings are an important part of an accessible pedestrian system. The presence of curb ramps and crosswalks may make it more comfortable to cross a road on foot. Traffic signals and stop signs might also make it easier to cross a road. A wide road is more difficult to cross than a narrow road. Likewise, a road with a lot of traffic is more difficult to cross than one with less traffic. The "Crossing the Roadway" map groups these types of roadway characteristics together in order to compare intersections throughout the city and assigns points to characteristics that negatively impact crossing conditions. An intersection with a higher number of total points indicates that it is more challenging to cross than an intersection with a lower number of total points.
The map reflects how comfortable it is to cross different roads in Seattle. Understanding how intersections compare to each other helps to prioritize potential projects. For example, an intersection with a traffic signal, ADA compliant curb ramps, and crosswalks needs less attention than one without any of these features.
The Pedestrian Master Plan also accounts for existing conditions for pedestrians throughout the city. This information is used in the recommendations, as well as in the phasing and implementation strategies. One of the ways this is done is by identifying and comparing opportunities for pedestrian improvements along and across roads. The opportunities for improvements are estimated using variables that contribute to the pedestrian environment: motor vehicle speed limit; the width of the road; presence of features such as traffic signals, curb ramps, and crosswalks; and others. For example, an area with wide roads, no sidewalks, and no traffic signals is assumed to be more challenging for pedestrians than an area with sidewalks, traffic signals, lower traffic speed, and curb ramps on every corner. Point values are assigned to all roads and intersections to capture the combination of these variables for relative comparison.