Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I'm Walking Here!


Having just finished my study on the imageability of bicycles commuters in New York City (I should have a final version posted later this week) I have been thinking of expanding the study further to pedestrians and subway riders. How do peds and public transit users see the city and how does this compare and contrast with bike commuters?

The New York Times had this recent article about the perspective of walkers in New York City and the perception of safety on the streets.
New Yorkers already tend to negotiate city streets with some vigilance, avoiding manhole covers since reports that people or animals had received electric shocks from them, and walking around, rather than stepping on, metal grates embedded in sidewalks. Or they choose not to walk under air-conditioners jutting from windows on the outside of buildings. Just in case.

So do we negotiate our paths differently depending on our mode of transportation? How does our view change when we combine these different modes (such as riding or walking to the subway and then taking the subway to our destination)? This article brings up many of the challenges that everyday New Yorkers face when using two feet to get to their destination.

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