Associations among Distance,Quality,and Safety When Walking from a Park-and-Ride Facility to the Transit Station in the Twin Cities

Abstract

Planners are interested in moving park-and-ride facilities away from transit stations and leaving space nearby for development. However, the literature offers no indication on how park-and-riders would tolerate longer walking distances. This study applies stated preference surveys to examine park-and-riders’ walking tolerance and other influential factors. We found that park-and-riders overwhelmingly prefer short walking distances but a pedestrian-friendly environment can offset the disutility of walking distances. With safe intersections, good pedestrian infrastructure, and an attractive building appearance, this study indicates that park-and-riders will walk up to two blocks more than they otherwise would. They stated that security, sidewalk, and crosswalk conditions are the most critical.