How Route4U Walkability Analysis Tool Helps City Officials

walkability analysis smart city route4u decision making accessibility

Revolutionising footpath network improvement planning

As part of our ‘Smart Dublin Wayfinding Challenge’ execution, during the past 6 months, a new footpath related city decision support tool was developed and introduced for opinion to city decision makers of towns such as Dublin, Swords, Galway, Limerick, Dusseldorf and Budapest.

Although the system currently works with an initial functionality, city officials got really interested when they learned what sort of information may be derived from the footpath data set collected by our staff and by the general crowd. Officers of different city departments like planning, road maintenance, public realm, transport, and accessibility agree that a useful tool is being developed which lets them better understand and visualise their existing footpath network and helps to identify the most advantageous development options.

By assigning ‘walkability’, ‘rollability’ (wheelchair accessibility) and ‘inclusion’ indexes to small neighbourhoods of the city the accessibility of the neighbourhoods is quantified. This quantification makes it possible to compare different parts of the city or make a comparison between cities as well as to accurately measure and report the progress of improvements.

Docklands Hive

Dublin Docklands: a highly accessible area, although frequent constructions might cause temporary obstructions

Walkability data from the crowd

According to the very core concept of Route4U, data is collected from the crowd. Interestingly two third of the Route4U app users are fully abled people who are keen to help the community. Based on user interviews we learned that a good number of people are actively seeking volunteering possibilities. Many of them find the obstacle reporting and service accessibility rating functionality of Route4U app a highly appealing option for this, as it is really flexible both geographically and time-wise. This means, where-ever and whenever they have a couple of minutes to contribute to the common good it can be done with the app and the tool is always in their pockets. This is exactly why it caught the interest of many companies and organisations like the Docklands Business Forum in the Dublin Docklands area who are publicising this volunteering option amongst their staff and members. Which is again a good connection point to cities as they are hungrily seeking the information coming directly from their citizens so that they are able to make decisions which best serve their people.

its's this easy to report an obstacle

25 times ’round the Globe

For reading this post this far you deserve a little peek under the hood. Interesting fact that to be able to provide the quality of analysis our customers enjoy in an average size of the downtown area (of approx. 500km sidewalk network) Route4U servers run more than 1 million kilometres of route planning – which equals with rounding the Globe 25 times along the Equator. But how are the walkability, rollability and inclusion indexes calculated?

Hexagon

First, the surveyed area of the city is broken up into hexagons of 200 metres in diameter and ‘A’ and ‘B’ points are assigned to the corners of each hexagon. Following this, routes are planned – there and back – between A and B points on the footpath network. The starting and ending points are always the nearest footpath segments to A and B (as A and B points may not always be on a piece of footpath).

Thus we get to a number which shows that in the small neighbourhood of a hexagon how long a distance one should walk (or roll in a wheelchair) on the footpath network to get from A to B which is 200 metres as the crow flies. (For easier visualisation, in the end, we give the figure for 100 metres straight line on our maps instead of 200 metres). The inclusion index is the difference of walkability and rollability and it shows how discriminating the area is for wheelchairs.

How does this help?

With this tool, it is easy to identify the problematic areas and then – digging a little deeper – also the causes of the problems. City planners of a client in Budapest, for example, were surprised to realise how much effect a couple of missing but important curb ramps have on the whole network in a rather extended area.

It was also interesting to see how a missing bridge or under-path across a highway that splits the district into two destroys walkability. To traverse 100 meters one must walk more than 500. Of course, in this case, the same applies to wheelchair users so the area is not discriminating since it is equally bad for everyone.

Based on all this, city decision-makers can virtually play around with their sidewalk infrastructure and experiment with different development options to see which ones would result in the greatest improvement regarding the overall network. And it is needless to say that the wiser our tax money is spent the better we are all off. Therefore we highly encourage you to volunteer, download the Route4U app and spend two-three minutes each day to upload some data. With this you are not only helping wheelchair users to a higher level of freedom in their mobility but also helping your city to make smarter decisions and to build a safer and more comfortable footpath network for all.

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Route4U footpath accessibility campaign across Ireland

route4u sidewalk accessibility ireland dublin docklands makewayday awareness footpath navigation

UPDATE (16. Nov. 2018):
Indisputably, volunteering for a social good project is an engaging option for serving the community in Dublin. Following our initial accessibility mapping of the footpaths in the Docklands area, a good number of people joined to the initiative of Route4U and reported nearly one hundred footpath obstacles over a month.

Based on the initial survey of the Docklands it can certainly be conveyed that the area is very well accessible for wheelchair users. Although the infrastructure is perfectly built, temporary footpath obstacles were still being reported mainly owing to the great number of construction works. These type of obstacles are very characteristic of the neighbourhood and they appear here and there from time to time so the systematic obstacle reporting from the crowd is a perfect way to keep the map constantly up to date.

What people with limited mobility fear the most is not the inaccessible paths but unpredictability. There are always working alternative routes there but in the first place you need to know in advance if something is blocked so you can avoid disappointment and frustration. Route4U maps help differently abled people to a safer,  more predictable and convenient mobility. And by contributing to the system with data uploads you are not only helping your mobility challenged fellow citizens but also your city to make smarter decisions on footpath improvementsread more about it here!

So we encourage you to volunteerdownload the Route4U app and spend two – three minutes each day to upload some foodpath data.

Click here to see how to report an obstacle – it’s easy as one-two-three…

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ORIGINAL POST

This week on September 3rd 2018 we presented the Route4U apps at a Community Hub for Accessible Technology CHAT event in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin and received great support. We announced a 1-month September campaign to improve accessibility data in Ireland and spread awareness. We are excited to be launching in Ireland and we are sure we will get a great reaction so we can make a positive impact on footpath accessibility

Route4U is in Ireland and we are ready to improve the pathways!

Route4U in Dublin
Route4U seeks volunteers to make a positive change

We are delighted with our the progress so far in Ireland. We have already completed survey projects in Swords, Dublin, and the Dublin Docklands. We have received the backing of Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council and are so proud to have won the SBIR Wayfinding Challenge under the SMART Dublin initiative partnered with Enterprise Ireland.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin said ‘’Any initiative which makes accessibility easier for disabled people has to be welcomed’’. The Head of Corporate Affairs and Governance at Fingal County Council is urging everyone to download the app and start mapping their local area.

The app is growing worldwide, and survey projects are underway already in the UK, France, Hungary and New Zealand. We are the world’s first footpath accessibility app. The App is available to download for free on iOS and Android smartphones.

Our campaign in Ireland has started and runs from the 4th September to the 4th October and we are reaching out to the people of Ireland, communities, businesses, and companies to get involved and set the ball rolling! Our success with Heineken shows how even companies can make a huge impact and really get behind a great cause.

To make the mobility easier for everyone we start first by collecting the obstacles. These are simply photographed and uploaded onto the map in 10 seconds. The app is constantly being updated with this data. Curb heights, slopes, gradients, and path widths will be measured also to allow full disclosure of the paths suitability for the app user.

Moreover, you can build up points for reporting on the map. We are seeking a nationwide effort to achieve our mission of better and safe mobility for everyone on the footpaths.

Sidewalk accessibility through obstacle mapping

On the 26th September is this year’s MakeWayDay where the public will be asked to physically put stickers on obstacles in their way. The MWD label will be seen also on the Route4U App. While physical stickers are about raising awareness, reporting obstacles in our app provide instant help for local and visiting wheelchair users alike. Perfect sidewalk accessibility might never become a reality but we already have the means to at least make the necessary, up-to-date information available.

Wheelchair travel on path
Campaign runs from 4th September to 4th October nationwide. Join us- Let’s put every pathway on the map!

Written by Mary Ann Healy

Find us on Twitter and Facebook:

twitter.com/route4u_org

facebook.com/route4u.org

 Web: https://route4u.org

Download the Route4U app here:

app-store google-play

How to get around London in a wheelchair

london wheelchair

Visiting London with a wheelchair? We have a few tips for you on getting around the city:

Tube

If you want to get somewhere fast and avoid traffic, tube can be a great choice. It is much faster and most of the stations have step-free access via elevators. Although we do recommend checking out the stations beforehand.

Just look out for rush hours, because certain metro lines can get hectic.

london wheelchair tube

Buses

Although it is great that so many buses are now accessible and it certainly opens up horizons. However, there are issues if, for example, there is a buggy in the wheelchair space, or the bus is very crowded you might not be able to get on which is a problem, and other passengers should pay attention to it. Watch out once you are on the bus, say in the rush hour, which seems to be all day in London, because you may well end up traveling with someone’s shopping bag or rack sack in your face. You can just let them know politely that you feel uncomfortable, most people will be happy to give you more space.

 

Another issue can be the attitude of bus drivers. Most are cheerful and helpful but unfortunately, some are not so a little extra patience will be required from your side. We recommend traveling with your bus pass, it makes life so much easier since you don’t have to top up every so often. It’s a monthly fee and it usually turns out to be cheaper than buying individual journeys.

Cabs

If you need a taxi we do recommend to book in advance, where you have the option to request an accessible cab, because most aren’t.

Electric chair

All in all getting about under your own batteries often seems the best option. Watch out for cars parking on the pavement, because they often block the way. Another issue can be the rain that is ever present, so definitely prepare a raincoat.

Train

When traveling on the train it is important to book assistance in advance. They will assist you to your platform, and provide you a way to get on the train because you probably cannot get on by yourself. That also means you can wave a bit of paper under the nose of customer services if they deny all knowledge of you. Please note that not all train stations are accessible, so check before you book your journey. Unfortunately, that can mean that you have to get off somewhere with accessible platforms and not the place you want to travel to.

Navigation

Google Maps has become more wheelchair friendly with the launch of public transport journey-planner tool for disabled people and have been welcomed by disability campaigners. The text giant has launched an extra filter on their Maps service enabling users to select a “wheelchair accessible” option when looking up public transport directions around the city. Unfortunately, they do not provide wheelchair navigation on pavements that would allow turn-by-turn journey planning. Route4U, however, breaches that gap by providing wheelchair friendly navigation and accessibility information on Points of Interests such as restaurants and cafés.

Article provided by stairliftguru.co.uk, edited by Timea Orban.

Heineken + Route4U = Accessibility info of 10,000 new places online

Heineken Hungary was one of the very first companies to join Route4U’s Brands for the accessibility programme. The firm’s 120 sales representatives had joined the initiative to build Route4U’s online accessibility map in order to help people with reduced mobility and raise awareness of the issue at the same time.

Route4U is the world’s first sidewalk navigation tool that incorporates accessibility information of pavements, intersections and public transport services so as to provide custom made routes for wheelchair users. In the app, you can find accessibility information of specific points of interest as well such as cafés or restaurants.

The role of HEINEKEN

The company’s employees took part in the programme as volunteers. They have assessed routes as well as points of interests for three months by using the Route4U app. In total, they have assessed the accessibility features of 10.000 places in Hungary.
10.000 new assessment is a huge deal for two reasons. On the one hand it showcases the potential in crowdsourced data collection on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, however, it also reveals that a big company can and is willing to take on an active role in moving important social issues forward.

The press conference

wheelchair application route4u hungary accessibility

Apart from the Route4U team Edina Som-Balogh actress (and new mom), José Matthijsse head director of Heineken Hungary, Márta Pálfalvi HR director of Heineken Hungary and József Szakály leader of MEOSZ took part in the roundtable discussions. The event attracted considerable media attention.

José Matthijsse stated about the movement:
„ At Heineken, we believe that it’s not only important to do good to the community on the individual level, but also on a company level. That’s the only way we can achieve the best possible outcome. I’m proud of our team, and it’s a great feeling to work with people who use technology to help others. It’s an honour to be part of the Route4u movement, and we encourage others to do so as well!”
Results

We owe a huge thank you to the employees who joined as volunteers to build the map. Of course they also receive the Route4U points that they can use up at our partners.

Join Route4U today to become a volunteer and help the community! It’s a great opportunity to do good in a truly 21st century way, with just a few taps on your phone. The points you get for your efforts can be used up for treats and discounts in Hungary, and we hope to expand the opportunity to the UK and Ireland as well.

We welcome the application of companies that will help us continue what we started with Heineken!

Let’s work together for a more inclusive world!

Download the Route4U app here: https://route4u.org/app.html

Route4U Assessment Guide

If you want to help the Route4U community make the world’s first sidewalk navigation solution truly useful, download the iOS app first here or the Android one here.

These are the ways you can contribute:

  • assess places’ accessibility
  • automatically map sidewalks and crossings
  • notify others about obstacles

Pasted image at 2016_09_23 04_09 PM

Sometimes categorizing places’ entrances or toilets is not easy, here’s some help:

Places

  • By tapping any Place on the map, you see their accessibility info. If there is no information yet (it’s gray) or if you find it incorrect you can change it’s properties by tapping the pencil icon and set it according to your findings. You can also add text on relevant details at the bottom.

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  • Green entrances 

    are level or the doorstep is max. 2 centimeters tall, the door is at least 120 cm wide, and there is no ramp in front of/behind the door. If assess a Place as green, be sure that there is enough space inside for wheelchair users, and that there are no stairs inside that limit movement.

 


  • Yellow entrances

    are inconvenient for most wheelchair users, but are still usable alone for some, and with assistance for the majority. If you find hard to decide the type of an entrance. Please leave a description, so others will know the exact characteristics. Places with mobile ramps and/or working wheelchair bells are and should be yellow in Route4U.

 


  • Red entrances

    are with a high doorsteps or are too narrow for most wheelchair users (<80cm) or have steep ramps leading up to them. Narrow entraces always fall into this category.


  • Green toilets 

    are big enough for an electric wheelchair user to turn around, are equipped with handrails and an alarm, door opens outside, mirror and sink are convenient to use in a wheelchair.


  • Yellow toilets

    are missing at least one of the features of Green toilets, but are still usable for some. Please always include accessibility details at the bottom!


  • Red toilets

    are either: too small, not enough space next to the toilet without handrails, the door opens inside or any combination of these.


Even if the entrance is accessible (Green) with wheelchair, there might be problems inside. These are:

  • Not enough space to move/turn inside with a wheelchair conveniently. If this is the case, please assess the Point of Interest as Yellow

  • If there are ramps inside that are possible to use alone, please assess the Point of Interest as Yellow

  • If there are steep ramps or stairs in the way, please assess the Point of Interest as Red

  • If the tables inside are too high, or there are tables that are inconvenient to use with a wheelchair, please assess the Place as Red


Join the community!

If all this is not enough, You can also join the fun by following our Facebook page . We regularly share information about the map and the apps (both iOS and Android) organize events and share interesting stuff about the world of accessibility.

We also created a Route4U – UK Mapping closed Facebook group where our UK-based users can share feedback about map data and the app in general. We also hope to build an active community of accessiblity enthusiasts

:)

Want to know more about Route4U? Read our FAQ!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Route4U app

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What is Route4U?

  • Route4U is a community-contributed tool that helps You to navigate on the sidewalks of a city. The purpose of the application is to give you the highest possible level of freedom in mobility, whether you are in your hometown or out exploring a new city. In exchange You can also help the community in many ways. We have data available in every single city of the world.

How does it work?

  • First, download the iOS app here or the Android one here. Once you open the app, you’ll see a map with color coded information on it. These are
    • Places – Points of Interests (circles),
    • sidewalks and crossings (gray or coloured lines),
    • and maybe obstacles (exclamation marks).
  • With Route4U, you can search for accessible places, and if there’s information available already, you can have personalized sidewalk routes planned between two locations.
  • You can also contribute:
    • assess places’ accessibility,
    • automatically map sidewalks and
    • notify others about obstacles!
  • We also have a web based map, with limited functionality here.

What are the colours on the map?

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  • We use colours on Places (or Points of Interest – POI), sidewalks and crossings.
  • Places can be gray, green, yellow and red.
    • Green means the entrance is accessible with all kinds of wheelchairs.
    • Yellow means entering is inconvenient but possible, either alone or with help.
    • Red means “impossible” because of the characteristics of the entrance.  
    • Gray POI means insufficient data. But you can change that! 🙂

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  • Sidewalks can be green, yellow, orange, red and gray. The colours show the smoothness and/or the steepness of the sidewalk surface.
    • Orange is very inconvenient and
    • red is impossible to roll on for most wheelchair users.
    • Gray sidewalks are not yet mapped, but again, you can change that!
  • Crossings can also be green, yellow, orange, red and gray. Colours of crossings indicate their kerb height.
    • You will definitely not have problems with green crossings, while
    • red ones have at least 10 cm high kerbs.
  • Route4U’s Navigation function shows you personalized routes. You can set your accessibility preferences in the Settings.

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Can I also change colour of Places or sidewalks?

  • Sure! By tapping any Place on the map, you see their accessibility info. If there is no information yet (it’s gray) or if you find it incorrect you can change it’s properties by tapping the pencil icon and set it according to your findings. You can also add text on relevant details at the bottom.

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  • Please read our Assessment Guide to see what kind of toilets and entrances fit into which category. This way we can avoid false data appearing on the map. Don’t worry though! Sometimes it’s not easy to decide the colours. If you have doubts, just add some comments in the “Accessibility Details” box. See the guide here.
  • Every user can “survey” sidewalks, kerbs and preferred routes while they move around in the city. Tapping the ruler (survey button) – even if the area is already mapped – automatically helps the community by keeping the map data fresh and accurate. Same applies when using the app in navigation mode. During survey, Route4U collects sensor data of your phone, and turns it into accessibility maps. No data about our users or their routes is given to a third party. This automatic survey function works best when you roll on the sidewalks and crossings. Surveying while driving or sitting in the car collects false data – however our built-in artificial intelligence will filter these out. 🙂

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What if the sidewalk would be fine, but is temporarily obstructed?

  • You can notify other users about that! Long tap on the map, choose “Obstacle“. You can even add a photo for others to see. These obstacles also count in the route planning process, if the sidewalk is blocked, Route4U will show you an alternative route.

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Why does Route4U say “No route!” when I try to use the navigation function!

  • We can only show you accessible routes on the mapped areas. Route4U is a community based app, which means you and your friends can automatically map your city from zero, only by opening the app and tapping on the ruler icon. This way we receive sidewalk data that is turned into coloured sidewalk maps. If you are an active person from a not-yet mapped city, feel free to contact us at tibor@route4u.org and our cartographer will help you get things rolling.

Does Route4U follow me when I am not using the app?

  • No.

Does Route4U use mobile data?

  • Yes, and GPS too.

Who can I contact if I have questions or something’s not working?

  • info@route4u.org or tibor@route4u.org

Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook! 🙂

I would love to help! How do I join the fun?

route4u felujított kossuth tér akadálymentes vincze zoltán

I would love to help! How do I join the fun?

You have multiple options. 🙂

Although we’re just starting our pilot in Portsmouth, UK, you can use the Route4U app anywhere in the world already. The general problem with services based on community-contribution is that reaching the minimum viable amount of data in a given area is not easy. This is why we designed our app to use OpenStreetMap data, this way we already have hunders, thousands of places (Points of Interest – POI) with accessibility data available in every town and city of the world.

This means that If you use wheelchairs or prams every day, you can still use the app, even though there will be no sidewalk navigation in your city at first, due to the inital lack of sidewalk data. Of course, since you can automatically “survey” sidewalks, crossings and road surfaces, you can be one of the pioneers of your area who help us put the map together.

By tapping on gray circles on the Route4U map, you can add accessibility information to that shop, venue, etc. This way, you notify every Route4U user in the world, about the accessibility of that place. In addition, this information will be available on OpenStreetMap too, for everyone to see. Check the current status of the Portsmouth map out herePlease read our Assessment Guide to see what kind of toilets and entrances fit into which category. This way we can avoid false data appearing on the map. Don’t worry though! Sometimes it’s not easy to decide the colours. If you have doubts, just add some comments in the “Accessibility Details” box. See the guide here.

You can also join the fun by following our Facebook page . We regularly share information about the map and the apps (both iOS and Android) organize events and share interesting stuff about the world of accessibility.

We also created a Route4U – UK Mapping closed Facebook group where our UK-based users can share feedback about map data and the app in general. We also hope to build an active community of accessiblity enthusiasts 🙂

route4u felujított kossuth tér akadálymentes vincze zoltán

As we mentioned above, sidewalk data is very difficult to collect – even with our automatic function – without a big number of active wheelchair or pram users on the city streets. This is why we cooperate with city councils to map the first version of the accessibility map, which is then continuously being updated by our users, just by rolling around the city streets. We provide cites with statistics, heat maps, and problematic locations data about their sidewalk network. Please contact our CEO: peter.bodo@route4u.org for more information!

Come with us, let’s get things rolling! 🙂