Multi-modal transportation with multi-criteria walking (MMT-MCW): Personalized route recommender

• This paper presents a novel methodology called MMT-MCW, such that walking is an independent mode and is optimized based on traveler’s characteristics and criteria.
• MMT-MCW evaluates and optimizes walking routes by using the Context-Aware Walking Segment technique.
• To demonstrate the applicability of the MMT-MCW methodology, a service for finding personalized walking sessions to increase physical activity, was discussed.

Existing wayfinding and navigation services are designed primarily for vehicle trip planning. Of these services, currently only a few consider walking for pedestrians, and none is capable of providing multi-modal transportation with walking always as one mode. To fill the gap, multi-modal transportation with multi-criteria walking (MMT-MCW), as a personalized route recommender, such that walking is one mode and is optimized based on traveler's characteristics and criteria, is proposed. The premise of MMT-MCW is based on the observations that: (a) walking can be performed for other purposes besides merely reaching destinations, such as to maintain or improve health; (b) traveler's behavior and physical capabilities play an important role in determining optimal route choices; (c) some location parameters, such as sidewalk slope, may have much more influence on walking than on vehicular modes; and (d) environmental parameters, such as sun exposure, impact walking route choices at a specific location and time. Wayfinding and navigation services equipped with MMT-MCW will be able to provide travelers with routing options where walking is always a part of the route meeting traveler's preferences.