Measuring effectiveness of pedestrian facilities using a pedestrian simulation model

Abstract

Transport planners are increasingly focusing on pedestrian facilities in order to enhance public transportation usage and thereby develop sustainable transport systems. Despite becoming a key policy requirement, no tool is yet available to measure the effectiveness of pedestrian facilities, particularly in terms of their interaction with pedestrian movements. In this study, we have developed a pedestrian simulation model based on cellular automata (CA) techniques. This model has sufficient flexibility to measure the effectiveness of pedestrian facilities in terms of a level of service index based on their interaction with pedestrian movements. We investigated the model's ability to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of fence in a subway station, with the goal of reducing conflicting pedestrian movements in some highly congested areas. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.