Quantitative Relationship between Collisions and Footbridges in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Abstract

Latin American cities have built footbridges under the assumption that these infrastructures play an important role in reducing road accidents, specifically collisions with pedestrians. However, it is common to find reports of road accidents involving pedestrians in the vicinities of these infrastructures, while, on the other land, it is difficult to find documents supporting the contribution of footbridges in the reduction of accidents involving pedestrians. The present document examines the relation between the footbridges in the city of Chihuahua, Mexico, and the number of pedestrians involved in collisions in their proximity. The analysis began with an assessment of the walkability in the proximity of the places where the footbridges are located, then geographic data systems were used for the geolocation of car-pedestrian collisions in the 2015-2020 period, and a multivariant analysis was carried out using genetic algorithms and a multivariate analysis was carried out using genetic algorithms. Results obtained showed that 34.7% of the collisions in Chihuahua occur within 300 meters of a pedestrian bridge and that vehicle speed, crossing distance when using pedestrian bridges, and barriers at street level are descriptors that contribute significantly to the road traffic risks faced by pedestrians. In general, it is concluded that footbridges in the city of Chihuahua do not contribute to the improvement of pedestrian road safety conditions.