Suggested Citation:
Tal, Gil and Susan L. Handy (2011) Measuring Non-motorized Accessibility and Connectivity in a Robust Pedestrian Network. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-11-23

This study explores the effect of the pedestrian network on pedestrian accessibility and connectivity in a variety of low-density suburban neighborhoods in the City of Davis, where the pedestrian network is substantially more extensive than the street network. The pedestrian network in Davis is unusual, given sidewalks on all streets and many off-street paths, what we call a robust pedestrian network.  We focus on the question:  how much difference does the pedestrian network make to pedestrian connectivity and thus accessibility? We compare a variety of measures of connectivity and accessibility based on the pedestrian network versus the street network in different suburban settings and for accessibility to different land use activities, such as schools and retail centers. We have two major motivations for documenting the degree to which the pedestrian network enhances pedestrian accessibility over the street network alone: to inform research, and to inform policy.