Walking audit

A walking audit is an assessment of the walkability or pedestrian access of an external environment. Walking audits are often undertaken in street environments to consider and promote the needs of pedestrians as a form of transport. They can be undertaken by a range of different stakeholders including: Local community groups Transport planners / engineers Urban designers Local police officers Local politicians / councilors Walking audits often collect both quantitative and qualitative data on the walking environment. The Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS) is the most developed and widely used walking audit tool available. PERS is “a systematic process to assess the pedestrian environment within a framework that promotes objectivity”. The environment is reviewed from the end user perspective of a vulnerable pedestrian. PERS consists of: An on-street audit process A GIS software package to consolidate, map and display results A PERS walking audit collects both quantitative and qualitative data on six types of facility in the street environment: Links (footways, footbridges, subways) Crossings Routes Public Transport Waiting Areas (bus stops, tram stops, taxi ranks) Public Spaces (parks and squares) Interchange Spaces (between different modes of transport) Each facility is rated on a seven-point scale (-3 to +3) for different parameters such as effective width, dropped kerbs, permeability, or personal security. PERS also rates disabled peoples access. These PERS ratings are linked to Red/Amber/Green (RAG) colour-coding. The PERS software allows users to analyse and display walkability data using GIS maps, charts and quick win recommendation lists. PERS was originally developed in 2001 by TRL and London Borough of Bromley. The software tool (PERS 1) was designed to allow transport professionals and community groups to quickly and cost-effectively assess and rate the walkability of local streets and recommend improvements for pedestrians. This version of the tool assessed Links, Crossings, and Routes.