Making the Montreal indoor city accessible to people with disabilities

Indoor pedestrian networks are a facet of the built environment in many cities around the world. They can be built for many reasons, including separating pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic, providing a refuge from seasonal inclement weather, or monetizing otherwise unused floors of office buildings. In Montreal, an indoor city has been in existence since 1962 and has grown to a length of 32 km the downtown area. While previous studies have examined the network growth and its effects on the levels of accessibility to retail space within the indoor city, the results of these studies do not hold true for people with disabilities. This research examines the ability of a person with physical disabilities and/or mobility impairments to function within Montreal’s indoor city. This is done through examining the existing indoor network and measuring the existing barriers that a person with disabilities faces when moving inside Montreal indoor city using a simple accessibility measure. Als...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2010
• Where: Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
• Authors: Hagg, M. & El-Geneidy, A.
• Keywords: Accessibility, People With Disability, Wheel Chair Accessible