Assessment of Pedestrian Connectivity to Dubai's Red Line Metro Stations: The Role of Alleyways infrastructure

Abstract

One key component of TOD planning and design is pedestrians' access to the station from the surrounding catchment area. An often underrated but primary component in evaluating network connectivity in TOD contexts is the incorporation of pedestrian alleyways. This paper examines the contribution of alleyways to enhance pedestrian access to ten metro stations along the Red line route in Dubai, UAE. Previous research has identified four growth phases of Dubai's urban evolution (Organic, Compact, Suburban, and Bigness), these phases represent variations in street network configurations, built form patterns, and built-up densities. This study evaluated alleyways contribution around station-areas in the latter three stages (compact growth, suburban growth, and bigness) by comparing pedestrian connectivity of two street network scenarios. The first scenario represents the typical street network adjusted for pedestrians, while the second accounts for the typical streets plus pedestrian alleyways. Pedestrian connectivity measures both the distance and directness of the routes walked to stations. The distance factor is measured and mapped by pedestrian catchment areas (PCAs), while the directness factor is measured by pedestrian route directness (PRD). The study aims to understand variations in connectivity trends associated with specific street network typologies. Findings show a decreasing trend in network efficiency over time and an increase in overall street network connectivity when alleys are included in the analysis. Moreover, comparisons of the two scenarios indicate that alleyways contribution is highest in the Compact growth phase, followed by Suburban and Bigness phases. Results highlight the potential lying in alleyways infrastructure of Dubai's urban blocks. Alleyways can transform many inefficient street networks into highly efficient and well-connected pedestrian networks. It is critical for future transit-walkability studies to incorporate pedestrian alleyways into their analysis.

Date of Award	May 2020
Original language	American English