Operational Characteristics of Inline Skaters

Inline skating has been considered the fastest growing sport in the United States for the past 10 years. More than 30 million people in the United States are participating, and more than a million are Floridians. Many people view the sport as a new mode of transportation. Some inline skaters believe they should be allowed access to roadways with the same rights as bicyclists. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) cannot make an informed decision on this matter without knowledge of the operational characteristics of the skaters. This project’s main purpose was to measure those characteristics so that FDOT can use the information when trails are designed. During the past year the University of South Florida has been working on a research project sponsored by FDOT focused on determining inline skaters’ operating speeds, sweep width, stopping techniques, stopping distances, and stopping widths on both road facilities and trails. During the project inline skaters were videotaped on roads and trails located in west and south Florida. Operational characteristics of the skaters were obtained from the videotapes using reference dimensions placed at each site. The skaters were analyzed and placed in categories: male, female, learner, advanced, and composite group. Logit models were developed to determine the 50th and 85th percentile values for the operational characteristics. These characteristics affect the desirability of allowing inline skaters on the street system. In addition to helping FDOT make an informed decision on this issue, the project will supply data useful in developing multiuse trail geometrics and operational design criteria.