WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility
Walking is a simple way to improve health through physical activity. Yet many people experience barriers to walking from a variety of physical, social, and psychological factors that impact their mobility. A challenge for managing and studying pedestrian environments is that barriers often occur at...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1023582/full |
| _version_ | 1797870448680108032 |
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| author | Karen Laberee Trisalyn Nelson Darren Boss Colin Ferster Kate Hosford Daniel Fuller Marie-Soleil Cloutier Meghan Winters |
| author_facet | Karen Laberee Trisalyn Nelson Darren Boss Colin Ferster Kate Hosford Daniel Fuller Marie-Soleil Cloutier Meghan Winters |
| author_sort | Karen Laberee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Walking is a simple way to improve health through physical activity. Yet many people experience barriers to walking from a variety of physical, social, and psychological factors that impact their mobility. A challenge for managing and studying pedestrian environments is that barriers often occur at local scales (e.g., sidewalk features), yet such fine scale data on pedestrian facilities and experiences are often lacking or out of date. In response, our team developed WalkRollMap.org an online mapping tool that empowers communities by providing them with tools for crowdsourcing their own open data source. In this manuscript we highlight key functions of the tool, discuss initial approaches to community outreach, and share trends in reporting from the first nine months of operation. As of July 27, 2022, there have been 897 reports, of which 53% served to identify hazards, 34% missing amenities, and 14% incidents. The most frequently reported issues were related to sidewalks (15%), driver behavior (19%), and marked crosswalks (7%). The most common suggested amenities were sidewalks, marked crosswalks, connections (i.e., pathways between streets), and curb cuts. The most common types of incidents all included conflicts with vehicles. Data compiled through WalkRollMap.org offer unique potential for local and timely information on microscale barriers to mobility and are available for use by anyone as data are open and downloadable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:27:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58b80f58a0ae456e9e64006818f51958 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6861 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:27:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-58b80f58a0ae456e9e64006818f519582023-03-15T05:47:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences2673-68612023-03-01410.3389/fresc.2023.10235821023582WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobilityKaren Laberee0Trisalyn Nelson1Darren Boss2Colin Ferster3Kate Hosford4Daniel Fuller5Marie-Soleil Cloutier6Meghan Winters7Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, CanadaSpatial Pattern Analysis & Research Lab, Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesDepartment of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, CanadaCities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaCities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaLaboratoire Piétons et Espace Urbain, Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montréal, QC, CanadaCities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaWalking is a simple way to improve health through physical activity. Yet many people experience barriers to walking from a variety of physical, social, and psychological factors that impact their mobility. A challenge for managing and studying pedestrian environments is that barriers often occur at local scales (e.g., sidewalk features), yet such fine scale data on pedestrian facilities and experiences are often lacking or out of date. In response, our team developed WalkRollMap.org an online mapping tool that empowers communities by providing them with tools for crowdsourcing their own open data source. In this manuscript we highlight key functions of the tool, discuss initial approaches to community outreach, and share trends in reporting from the first nine months of operation. As of July 27, 2022, there have been 897 reports, of which 53% served to identify hazards, 34% missing amenities, and 14% incidents. The most frequently reported issues were related to sidewalks (15%), driver behavior (19%), and marked crosswalks (7%). The most common suggested amenities were sidewalks, marked crosswalks, connections (i.e., pathways between streets), and curb cuts. The most common types of incidents all included conflicts with vehicles. Data compiled through WalkRollMap.org offer unique potential for local and timely information on microscale barriers to mobility and are available for use by anyone as data are open and downloadable.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1023582/fullpedestriansafetycomfortmobilityhazardsbarriers |
| spellingShingle | Karen Laberee Trisalyn Nelson Darren Boss Colin Ferster Kate Hosford Daniel Fuller Marie-Soleil Cloutier Meghan Winters WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences pedestrian safety comfort mobility hazards barriers |
| title | WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| title_full | WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| title_fullStr | WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| title_full_unstemmed | WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| title_short | WalkRollMap.org: Crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| title_sort | walkrollmap org crowdsourcing barriers to mobility |
| topic | pedestrian safety comfort mobility hazards barriers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1023582/full |
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