Modal share and space allocation

Multi-modal counters (such as our CITIX-AI Evo) can cover spacious intersections or areas with zone-by-zone analysis. These counters analyze infrastructure and deliver factual information on how you should size them.

In the example to the right, the study asks: "Is my crosswalk the right size?". The crosswalk is analyzed to identify the percentage of traffic that crosses outside the striped lines. If we observe that 5% walk outside the lines on weekdays and 15% on weekends, this is a strong signal to make this facility larger!

Another important indicator for correctly allocating space and designing facilities is the measurement of speeds. By analyzing and comparing the speeds of pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles, you can make key decisions about roadway design.

For example, speeds provide information to anticipate potential conflicts of use. The Federal Highway Administration even has a guide on how to design separated bike lanes if a roadway has higher speeds (30mph+). As another example, the European Cyclists' Federation has a guide that recommends the right radius of curvature for bike lanes at different speeds. Faster bicycle speeds mean wider curves are needed to prevent collisions between opposing flows.

One analysis that can reveal significant insights is to count different user types and compare their modal share with their allocated space.

On the right, for example, is a study we conducted in Montreal, Canada on a popular urban street.

Although we discovered that the modal share of bikes was over 30%, 0% of the street's space was allocated to cyclists. This inequity likely puts cyclists at a greater safety risk. More than that, the road had almost 50% pedestrian modal share, while the sidewalk took only 30% of the road's space. These two insights suggested that the road's space should be reallocated to favor bikes and pedestrians.