Examining the relationship between road safety outcomes and the built environment in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

The study of the relationship between the built environment and road safety suggests that density and urban design features may be associated with traffic incidents. In this study, quantitative data analysis using generalized ordinal logit models, and linear and log-linear regressions was conducted to estimate the influence of the built environment on road safety in Bogotá, focusing on road crash outcomes by estimating the influence of built environment attributes on fatalities and injured victims. The analysis was performed using georeferenced road crash data from 2012 to 2016 provided by Bogotá’s Department of Mobility. The quantitative data analysis focused on arterial roads, considering crash severity and types of road users involved, as well as Bus Rapid Transit System corridors. This analysis was complemented with on-site interviews. The results suggest that the presence of pedestrian bridges is positively associated with the number of road crashes for all road users. Other urban variables such as density and distance to intersections showed significant correlations with safety.