Enhancing pedestrian safety, walkability and traffic flow with fuzzy logic

Abstract

The continuous congestion in the Arabian Gulf Road, located in Kuwait, contributes to air pollution in the area and causes discomfort for both drivers and pedestrians. The objective of this work is to enhance walkability and safety of pedestrians in the Gulf road while facilitating traffic flow. The study had been conducted for the road and surrounding area staring from the Society of Engineers till the British Embassy. Two methods were established to enhance walkability at each intersection. The first method used Synchro software to improve the traffic condition, lessen the delay time, and add pedestrian phase for each intersection. In the second method, fuzzy logic code was scripted using MATLAB to adjust traffic lights duration, for creating an adaptive traffic system. The best-established solution for traffic phasing at the Engineering Society intersection was mitigation scenario one, which contributed to decreasing the delay time by 63.82%, reaching only 5 min of delay. As for the British embassy intersection, the delay had been reduced by 11.82% using mitigation scenario 2. Several adjustments had been implemented in the study area that included replacing the current parking space with a wide green area, adding underground parking, and designating a particular lane for bicycles. The green area was provided with a shaded pathway using photovoltaic panels, jugging pathway, retail shops, and playing grounds to encourage walkability and reduce dependence on vehicles. A LEED-certified restaurant model had been designed that scored a gold certificate. Two additional restaurants were proposed in the area and a pond to attract more visitors.