Experimental investigation on pedestrian–bicycle mixed merging flow in T-junction

Abstract

We experimentally investigated the pedestrian–bicycle mixed merging flow in a T-junction in both symmetric and asymmetric merging situations. Based on trajectories, we analyzed the spatial and temporal features of the flow in front of and behind the merging area. The flow priority was also discussed. The main findings include: (1) Congestions are concentrated nearly right in front of the merging area, where the interference between individuals is the most severe. There is little congestion after two flows join; (2) The time finishing merging increases almost linearly with the cyclist ratio, and the merging efficiency under the asymmetric merging condition is higher than under the symmetric merging condition. The left-turning cyclists have an advantage in competing conflicts over the right-turning cyclists. Even though the number of participants behind merging might be higher, the speed is remarkably higher than in front of merging. It is even more noticeable as the ratio of cyclists increases; (3) In the symmetric merging situation, the pedestrian flow in one branch is notably higher than in another branch. Under the asymmetric merging condition, the bicycle flow in the straight branch is significantly higher than in the bent branch, indicating the priority of flow in the straight branch. The study supports the design of mixed-traffic facilities and the management of the pedestrian–bicycle flow. It also gives insights into the modeling of pedestrian–bicycle flow.