Investigating the Effect of Environmental Factors on Desirability of the Walking Distance from Parking Lot to the Final Destination (Case study: Ahwaz)

The growth of urbanization and utilizing vehicles in most developing countries has led to increasing challenges in development of underpinnings and facilities of transportation. Among these, the way and the amount of providing space for on-street and off-street parking area is considered as one of the needs of transportation programming authorities. On the other hand, the studies about desirability of the use of parking space, have demonstrated the effect of desirable walking distance on the parking demand. The effect of environmental factors on desirability of walking distance has rarely been taken into account. In this paper, the environmental factors affecting the desirable walking distance in Ahwaz were identified. Following that, standard survey forms were designed and the statistical analysis was carried out through the statistical software. The results of the study showed that desirable weather conditions, and existence of covered walkways with appropriate width and enough light, with no obstacles on the way, were important environmental factors that increased the average desirable walking distance to at most 58 percent.