Modeling pedestrian level of service in developing countries

A unique characteristic of the sidewalk condition in commercial areas in Bangkok and Jakarta is street vendor activities. The objective of this study is to investigate impact of street vendors on sidewalk performance, and to investigate relationships among latent variables related to sidewalk performance based on pedestrian perceptions. A comparison of pedestrian perceptions on walking experience along the sidewalk with street vendor activities between Bangkok and Jakarta is demonstrated. Four latent variables are determined covering sidewalk condition, pedestrian traffic, pedestrian behavior, and sidewalk performance based on pedestrian interview survey data. Using empirical data, it is found that qualitative variables based on pedestrian perceptions have a relatively significant role in assessing sidewalk performance. The structural equation modeling result reveals that pedestrian perception of sidewalk condition is the most important aspect in assessing sidewalk performance. The findings encourage the importance of combining qualitative and quantitative variables in sidewalk performance assessment. In addition, it is recommended for policy makers and urban planners to pay more attention to user’s perception in sidewalk design.