Built Environment and the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users Near Commuter Rail Transit Stations

In recent years, there has been an increase in public transportation ridership in the United States (U.S.). Most of these transit users tend to walk or bike to the transit stations. As such, more pedestrian and bicycle crashes have been reported near these transit stations. Thus, understanding the pedestrian and bicycle crash characteristics and patterns may help to improve their safety near the transit stations. Therefore, this study evaluated the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists near commuter rail transit (CRT) stations in South Florida. Specifically, the study identified the built environment attributes influencing pedestrian and bicycle safety near the CRT stations. Several transportation D variables, i.e., density, design, diversity, distance to transit, and destination accessibility evaluated. The study used five years (2015-2019) of pedestrian and bicycle crashes in South Florida. The negative binomial (NB) and zero-inflated model (ZINP) were used to identify factors that contribute to the number of crashes in the census block group (CBGs) near the CRT station. The study results indicated that the residential density, distance to the nearest CRT stop, and frequency of transit service per square mile were significantly associated with the number of crashes near the CRT stations in the nearby CBGs. The design, diversity, and destination accessibility variables did not significantly impact the number of pedestrian crashes near the transit stations. Moreover, residential density and proportion of employment within 0.5 miles of fixed guideway were associated with the absence of pedestrian crashes near the CRT stations.