Discussion Papers in Economics Walk or Wait? An Empirical Analysis of street Crossing Decisions

We examine the behavior of pedestrians wishing to cross a stream of traffic at signalized intersections. We model each pedestrian as making a discrete crossing choice by comparing the gaps between vehicles in traffic to an individual-specific “critical gap ” that characterizes the individual’s minimal acceptable gap. We propose both parametric and nonparametric approaches to estimate the distribution of critical gaps in the population of pedestrians. To estimate the model, we gather field data on crossing decisions and vehicle flows at three intersections in New Delhi. The estimates provide information about heterogeneity in critical gaps across pedestrians and intersections and permit simulation of the effect of changes in traffic light sequence (flows) on pedestrian crossing behavior and waiting times. 1