Abstract
Decisions on footbridge construction in developing countries are often made without taking into account empirical evidence on the efficacy of these infrastructures. This paper provides an overview of the limited available literature on footbridge efficacy and analyzes data gathered by the World Bank that examines at-grade and off-grade crossings and convenience of three footbridges in Panama City. Results show that, even if footbridges are available, 19% of crossings are not made using the off-grade facilities, for which users take approximately 233% as much time. This fact illustrates that, despite the costliness of these infrastructures, they are failing to provide universal usage, and should be considered only as a last resort.