Illuminance Level as a Security and Comfort-Based Design Criteria for Pedestrian Facilities in SJMA

Abstract

One of the key aspects of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Smart Growth (SG) urban development is to provide walkable environments. In that sense, pedestrian and recreational facilities should be designed to provide an adequate level of comfort that stimulates and promotes its usage. These aspects are considered crucial for the successful development of these facilities but are usually disregarded during the design. Currently, a major infrastructure and economic inversion such as Puerto Rico’s urban (metro) train is considerably limited to daylight time usage; minimizing the intended potential of lowering private car use and the consequent reduction in carbon emissions. This motivated the research project to focus on the evaluation of the level of illumination as design criteria for pedestrian and recreational facilities by assessing the current conditions in key places within the San Juan Metropolitan Area (SJMA) in Puerto Rico. The evaluation considered the recommended standards for illumination, safety and comfort suggested by Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and other well recognized organizations. A photometry study was conducted around three main train station areas, where data sets were mapped and represented using ArcGIS. Critical scenarios that were also identified were represented using Google SketchUP, Artlantis and Adobe Illustrator. Using linear regression an existing correlation between the illumination levels and lidership after 7:00 PM was evidenced. Although pedestrian lighting levels meet the recommended values for security and comfort in the immediate surroundings of the train stations, adjacent locations under the radio of influence fail to meet these values. Finally, best management practices (BMPs) were developed to provide applicable solutions to help the city comply with these recommended standards and promote the success and further encourage the nighttime use of the mass transportation system in (SJMA).