Pedestrians' perceptions of operation and maintenance - results from a survey in nine Norwegian cities

The Norwegian zero growth target indicates that future growth in passenger traffic in cities and towns should be in the form of walking, cycling and public transport. Good operation and maintenance of infrastructure for walking is important to achieve this. The report presents the results of a survey of 2745 pedestrians in nine urban areas about their perception of operation and maintenance for walking. The results show that women are more concerned about difficult conditions than men are, especially during winter. The oldest women (> 60 years) find winter conditions to be difficult. We find that poor operation and maintenance can have major consequences for how one experiences traveling, route choices and means of transport. Holes in the road and heaps of snow are among the most problematic conditions for pedestrians. The results indicate that better operation and maintenance can lead to more people choosing to walk.