Evaluation of pedestrian signal compliance on a model urban corridor: a case study of Mall Road, Lahore (Pakistan)

Pedestrian safety remains a major concern in rapidly urbanizing cities of developing countries, where road traffic crashes constantly involve vulnerable road users. In Lahore, Pakistan, pedestrian facilities such as signalized crossings often underperform due to limited awareness, inadequate design, poor maintenance, and weak enforcement. This study evaluates pedestrian awareness, perception, and compliance with pedestrian signals along the Mall Road Corridor, a busy urban arterial serving diverse socio-economic groups. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey, yielding 600 valid responses. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, ordinal logistic regression, and factor analysis were employed to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and perceived infrastructural attributes on pedestrian behavior. Results indicate that gender, age, education, employment status, and income significantly affect compliance with pedestrian signals. Factor analysis identified seven latent constructs related to compliance behavior, safety perception, signal placement, traffic conditions, perceived importance, and user satisfaction. Only 43% of respondents demonstrated full awareness of pedestrian signals, and 54% reported regular or occasional use. The findings highlight that in this perception-based study, both infrastructural quality and perceived safety strongly shape pedestrian compliance, underscoring the need for targeted design improvements and enforcement measures to enhance pedestrian safety in developing urban contexts.