The researchers believe that a safe and pedestrian-friendly sidewalk is a basic human

right. The goal of this study is to enhance the walking experience of the pedestrians in Justice
Romualdez Street, Tacloban City.
The result of this study will be beneficial to the community of Tacloban City. Taking into
consideration that walking is an inevitable activity, it is just correct to say that it is a basic human
right to walk in a pedestrian-friendly sidewalk. Solving the walkability problem in the chosen
locale will have a positive impact in various aspects in the community.
This research evaluates the current state of walkability in the study area through an on-
site assessment with the use of a checklist. Factors that affect walkability such as Safety and
Security and convenience and attractiveness will be assessed by the checklist.
Based on the results the researchers (1) identified that the most congested block during
rush hours is along SaveMore and Gaisano Capital (2) based on the conducted on-site
assessment specifically on the basis of Safety and Security, the areas that have poor ratings
are located along City Engineering Office (CEO) and Rizal Central School and Philippine
National Bank (PNB) while the area that has a high rating is located along SaveMore. On the
basis of Convenience and Attractiveness, the area that has a poor rating is located along Gleen
Marketing while the area that has a high rating is located along SaveMore.
These sidewalks are improperly utilized as parking area, vendor’s area, building
extension, etc. This situation hinders pedestrians’ safety. Instead of bringing safety for the
pedestrians, which is its main purpose, it just brought danger to them.
In connection with the present scenario mentioned above this research intends to solve
the problem on how to create a pedestrian-friendly environment in the downtown area of
Tacloban City that will not only ensure the safety of the pedestrians but will also encourage them
to resort to walking instead of relying on vehicles.
The presence of different obstructions in the sidewalks paves way to further issues that
need to be addressed to improve the state of walkability in Downtown Tacloban. This study will
be instructive to developers, environmental planners and policy makers in properly designing
pedestrian-friendly sidewalks. The findings have implications for and should inform the
development of a standard in benchmarking further studies on walkability.

Future researchers may (1) benchmark on a desired pedestrian-friendly street that could
be a basis for the study, (2) enhance the walkability checklist and include other parameters to
provide a more in-depth analysis in evaluating the walkability of the area and (3) widen the
scope of the study.

Parameters:
1 Walking Path Modal Conflict
1. The pedestrians are separated from the road traffic
2. There is enough space between the sidewalk and the street
3. There are no parked cars on the walking path
4. The sidewalk is not utilized as a path for vehicles and other modes of transport
5. Pedestrians do not walk on pavements and road lanes unless they are using the
crosswalk

2 Availability of Walking Paths

1. There are sidewalks along my route.
2. Sidewalks are wide and even.
3. Sidewalks are well-maintained (no cracks or holes, litter or manure).
4. Sidewalks are clear of poles, signages, bushes, vendors, or parked vehicles that block
the walking path of pedestrians.
5. There are adequate and well-maintained recycling bins.
6.

3 Availability of Crossings
1. There is a crosswalk where the pedestrian needs one. He/she doesn’t have to walk all
the way to the corner to get across the street.
2. The crosswalk is well-maintained and can be easily identified.
3. The pedestrian can cross the street within the crosswalk lines even if there are many
people crossing at the same time.
4. The pedestrians don’t have to wait too long for them to cross the street.
5. I can get across the street before the light changes.
4 Grade Crossing Safety
1. I can clearly see traffic before I cross the street- nothing blocks my view.
2. The pedestrian crossings are safely and conveniently located near schools, parks,
shops, public transport stops, etc.
3. Even at signalized crossing, pedestrians can safely cross the street without looking out
for vehicles making a left turn or a U-turn.
4. There are signal heads that are visible to the pedestrians and motorists.
5. There are lines to delineate sidewalks/paths.
6. The crossing is smooth enough to allow road vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other
road users to cross at their normal speed without consequence.

5 Motorist Behavior
1. Drivers are careful – they watch out for pedestrians at driveways,
crosswalks and parking lots,
2. Drivers give pedestrians the right of way at crosswalks and at stop signs and stop lights.
3. Drivers obey traffic laws.
4. Drivers did not sped up to make it through traffic lights or drove through traffic lights.
5. Drivers are not parking their vehicles in areas that would block the crosswalks.
6 Amenities
1. There are places to shelter from the rain and the sun.
2. There are benches to stop and rest
3. There are functional ready-to-use public washrooms
4. There are functional street lights present
5. Are there any points of interest (e.g. historical markers, malls, public art, parks,
community gardens)?
7 Disability Infrastructure
1. There are ramps that are available for use.
2. Stairs and ramps feel safe to use- not too steep, no cracks or breaks.
3. The edges of stairs and ramps are marked with contrasting colors.
4. Stairs and ramps have railings on both sides.
5. Can people walk side-by-side on the sidewalks and walkways, including individuals with
strollers and walkers and those using wheelchairs?
6. Curbs have ramps at sidewalks.
7. Do sidewalks have level, detectable warnings (e.g., truncated domes) that help people
with low vision and/or visual impairments determine the boundary between the sidewalk
and street?
8. Do individuals using assistive mobility devices can easily navigate the surface of the
sidewalks?

8 Obstructions
1. The walking path is free from temporary obstructions (e.g. parked cars, street vendors,
under repair infrastructures)
2. Permanent obstructions (e.g. electric posts, building extension,) are not present
3. The path is free from debris, overhanging tree branch and dangling wires.
4. .
5.

9 Security from Crimes

1. There are police, security guards, or patrols on my walking route
2. There are lots of other people around (attributed to safety) during the day
3. At night, I feel safe because there are a lot of people in my walking route
4. There are stores and safe places to go to in case of trouble
5. There are phones available for use to call for help