Encouraging pedestrian activity in commercial nodes and corridors

The Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works and Transit (which serves the city of Minneapolis and many of its suburbs) commissioned Pedestrian Studies to audit pedestrian activity and provide recommendations for increasing pedestrian friendliness. Barriers and opportunities related to pedestrian activity were surveyed in the field and determined through interviews of retail and residential property managers, business owners, parks staff, and police. Traffic volumes were sampled to provide an overview of how commercial zones are serving pedestrians.

Factors discouraging traffic included poor retail health, poor visual appearance and image, uncoordinated retail operations, limited transit service, perceptions of crime, convenient but dangerous jaywalking opportunities, and the absences of sidewalks. Short term and long term action plans addressed the possible need for resources and partners to improve walkability and foot traffic volumes were submitted to five cities.

Pedestrian opinions/responses to a public art installation in a downtown skyway

Surveys were conducted of pedestrians along Nicollet Mall sidewalks in Minneapolis, Minn., to determine their opinion of a temporary public art installation above them. The Forecast Public Art project involves the installation of translucent photomurals on glass walls of a skyway above the mall. The consultant service also included observing pedestrian interaction with the exhibit inside the skyway bridge.

Measuring baseline and event traffic in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

Pre-development baseline counts around a new arena and entertainment district were taken in 2007, and a follow-up study was completed in 2009. The Kansas City Downtown Council used the data to document the success of the new Power and Light District on restaurant and retail business.

18th annual downtown Minneapolis pedestrian count

Annual pedestrian counts for building owners and leasing agents with retail space in the skyways and on sidewalks have been conducted since 1991. Responding to news releases, the media typically reports on the results of the study. Last year, downtown Minneapolis showed an overall annual traffic volume increase of 5 percent. In 2008, results were spotty by location and time of day.

Designing a pedestrian kiosk to generate downtown foot traffic

Assisting the City of Buffalo, Minn., in the selection of a structural and graphic design for an electronic, remote-controlled outdoor kiosk on a key retail corner downtown. The kiosk will feature a retail directory and map as well as an event calendar that can be updated with the push of a button. Community images will be printed on backlit side panels. The illuminated color panels on the kiosk will act as beacons to foot traffic and be visible from 1 block away in each direction. Pedestrian Studies proposed the project to the city and has managed the kiosk vendor selection and design process.

Understanding and affecting jaywalking behavior at LRT Stations

Pedestrian crossings were counted within and outside of crosswalks on Hiawatha Avenue and the adjacent light rail transit route in Minneapolis, Minn., for Hennepin County. The objective was to measure the illegal and legal crossing behavior to determine the scale of the jaywalking problem on this busy arterial. Recommendations on how to minimize the jaywalking behavior may include signage and physical changes in the street medians or curb edges to discourage jaywalkers.

Study of Target Field and adjacent transit hub

Studies relating to pedestrian traffic issues in and around the downtown Minneapolis, Minn., Interchange Transit Hub and its adjacent Twins ballpark (completed in 2010) were performed a few months before the Major League team’s home opener.

Kiosks at airports and transit terminals

Kiosk design and information changes were recommended for a retail mall at a Midwestern U.S. airport. Research included determining pedestrian traffic routes in large intersections, measuring traffic volumes by a kiosk at a busy intersection of walking routes, observing user interaction with the kiosk, interviewing users to determine needs and preferences.