Pedestrian characteristics

On this page

• Definition of a pedestrian
• People with additional mobility considerations
• Walking distance and speed
• Pedestrian operating space

Video transcript

I'm Nat Verdon and I'm the Managing Director of Briometrix and we've been working for the last seven years in understanding the needs of people with limited mobility and getting out and about in our community.

So Briometrix concentrates on the data capture and the analysis of the footpath network and its relationship to the transport network. We actually work with what we call our wheelchair pilots. These are people who use wheelchairs. We connect the technology that we have created to those wheelchairs and go ahead and collect that data and then analyse that data and that data is then visualised, and shared with TMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads), in the forms of maps and in the forms of dashboards.

The types of navigational barriers and challenges that we have learnt from working with people with limited mobility have been three major challenges: and that's the effort, the connectivity and the risk that's presented with the network.

So when we talk about the effort, if you think of the slope, the surface type and the surface condition, how difficult it is to move around the network.

When we look at connectivity, it's about the kerbs and the crossings and then we look at the risk of it, that's when we're looking at things such as trip hazards and obstacles.

Briometrix has worked with TMR and in the areas of Brisbane, in Townsville, in Sunshine Coast and in Broadbeach and also in Rockhampton.

When we worked with TMR and the way we approached the footpath network and how we want mobility maps and walkability to happen, you'll find if you work with people who have a disability and you look at their certain needs that they have and you work with those needs, you'll find that by being able to explore and resolve those issues, you actually find it's applicable to the whole population.

What we're looking at is the footpath network now as far as its walkability, it's movement. So they're the two perspectives that they've seen, we've learnt now what stops the journey, but what stops a journey and what actually where people can lose confidence. And if we can address those risks, then we can actually get walkability, we can get the new healthy habits happening. So there are the two perspectives that we like from our partners that they've come back and said I haven't seen those two things and now that I have seen them, it's something that you can't unsee.

We see TMR using the work that we've done to help everyone making walking a choice for everyday. By using this data and understanding where the gaps are, where the risks are, we can get people out and about and encouraging not only themselves but encouraging others. And we know that starts healthy habits with a focus for everybody. We can get the most out of the footpath network.