Pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in the United States, and this trend shows no signs of reversing. One contributing factor to these incidents is pedestrians' difficulty in accurately assessing traffic conditions and vehicle actions, leading to potentially fatal collisions. One promising solution could be the use of additional visual cues through external vehicle lighting on the front of vehicles to aid pedestrians in making safer decisions. This research explored this possibility through two studies that examined an LED display mounted on the grill of a study vehicle. The display changed color to communicate whether the vehicle was accelerating or decelerating (the display turned white if the vehicle was accelerating, and amber if the vehicle was decelerating). The first study assessed how well participants could judge whether the vehicle was accelerating or decelerating when the display was active versus inactive, and whether a verbal explanation of the display's function improved their understanding. The second study not only revisited judgement accuracy, but also examined its influence on participants' crossing intentions. Additionally, this study evaluated if repeated exposure to the display in a different traffic scenario (maneuvering a left turn at a stop sign controlled intersection) enhanced understanding as well as verbal explanations, which are less feasible in real world traffic situations. Findings from these studies indicated that a clear verbal explanation of the display significantly enhanced participants' ability to discern vehicle acceleration and deceleration, but exposure to the display in other traffic scenarios provided the same benefit. Study 2 did not observe significant changes in the safety buffer (i.e. the amount of time between when participants decide to cross, and when there would be a conflict with the vehicle if they did cross), but the average number of safe crossing decisions versus unsafe was improved, though these results were inconsistent across participants. These findings suggest potential for enhancing pedestrian safety by providing pedestrians with additional information through external vehicle lighting displays. Future research should focus on optimal implementations strategies for such displays and investigate any possible unintended consequences of deploying this technology on public roads. / Master of Science / More pedestrians are dying on roadways in the United States every year, and it does not look like it's going to get better soon. One reason for these incidents is that people often have trouble figuring out what cars around them are doing, which can lead to deadly crashes. One way to help people understand what cars are doing is to add a lighting display to the fronts of cars. These lights could give pedestrians more information to make safer choices. This idea was tested in two studies that looked at adding lights to the front of a car. These lights turned white when the car was speeding up, and amber when the car was slowing down. The first study checked if people could correctly figure out if a car was speeding up or slowing down when the lights were on or off, and if telling them what the colors of the lights meant helped them understand better. The second study looked at how well people could tell whether the car was speeding up or slowing down as well, but also looked at how the lights changed the timing of when they decided to cross the street. It also looked at whether seeing the lights in a different situation, like turning left at a stop sign, helped people understand what the vehicle was doing as good as when someone explained it to them, which is not always possible in real life. The study showed that telling people what the colors of the lights mean did help people figure out if a car was speeding up or slowing down, and just seeing the lights in different road situations helped as well. The second study did not find any changes in how much time people left when deciding it was safe to cross, but it did show that some people made safer choices more often, even though this was not the same for everyone. These results show that adding these types of lights to cars might make roads safer for pedestrians. Future studies should look into the best way to use these types of lights and think about any problems that might occur if these lights are used on public roads.

Walking is one of the fundamental human activities, which extends beyond mere transportation mode and is embedded leisure and social practice, that intertwines physical movement, sensory experience, and interaction with physical and social environments. Given its multiple health and environmental benefits, promoting walking and pedestrianisation became a priority on the global agenda to meet health, climate, and broader sustainability objectives. Considering the complexity of human behaviour, understanding more than physical factors that influence walkability has become increasingly important. This study explores pedestrian perceptions of walkability in the public space of a historical neighbourhood in Batumi, Georgia. By employing qualitative research design, the study delves into perceptual and symbolic factors that influence walking behaviours in historically and culturally reach area. The study is based on one-hour walk-along interviews with nine participants and interviews with two business proprietors, supplemented by detailed observation and strategic document analysis. Study findings reveal that a sense of place, relaxation, aesthetic pleasure, and social interactions are critical perceived factors that motivate pedestrians to walk in the Old Batumi neighbourhood. Emotional attachment to place, shared values and beliefs (place identity), and physical and functional attachment to the area emerged as significant elements drawing people to walk despite the present car-oriented development and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and comfort. Tranquil ambiance, old-style architecture, and scenic views enhance the walking experience for those seeking relaxation. In contrast, others are drawn to the area for active socialization as a form of relaxation. Additionally, the research uncovered that symbolic factors, such as open access and multiculturalism, walking as a performative act to claim the space, and cultural affinity play a crucial role in shaping pedestrian preferences. These factors enable individuals to reclaim cultural identity and protect historical heritage through their walking practices. They emerged as distinct for the particular geographic, political, and cultural context, reflecting the ongoing developments related to neoliberal transitions. Besides contributing to the theoretical walkability literature, the findings of the study suggest practical implications for ongoing pedestrianisation initiative in Batumi. It suggests that efforts should prioritise enhancing the sense of place and protecting historical and cultural elements. Recommendations include suggestions on priority streets with high pedestrianisation potential, considering features and factors positively influencing walking practices. Additionally, the study suggests that improving pedestrian infrastructure and access, maintaining the aesthetic and cultural integrity of public spaces, updating and enforcing existing regulations, and introducing integrated and participatory planning are essential. These measures are important to support and preserve the identified values of belonging, multiculturalism, and socialization.