Modeling and Simulation for Non-Motorized Vehicle Flow on Road Based on Modified Social Force Model

Abstract

Non-motorized vehicles have become one of the most commonly used means of transportation for people due to their advantages of low carbon, environmental protection, convenience and safety. Frequent interaction among non-motorized vehicle users in the shared space will bring security risks to their movement. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt appropriate means to evaluate the traffic efficiency and safety of non-motorized vehicle users in the passage, and using a micro model to conduct simulation evaluation is one of the effective methods. However, some existing micro simulation models oversimplify the behavior of non-motorized vehicle users, and cannot reproduce the dynamic interaction process between them. This paper proposes a modified social force model to simulate the dynamic interaction behaviors between non-motorized vehicle users on the road. Based on the social force model, a new behavioral force is introduced to reflect the three dynamic interaction behaviors of non motor vehicle users, namely, free movement, following and overtaking. Non-motorized vehicle users choose which behavior is determined by the introduced decision model. In this way, the rule-based behavior decision model is combined with the force based method to simulate the movement of non-motorized vehicles on the road. The modified model is calibrated using 1534 non-motorized vehicle trajectories collected from a road in Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. The validity of the model is verified by analyzing the speed distribution and decision-making process of non-motorized vehicles, and comparing the simulation results of different models. The effects of the number of bicycles and the speed of electric vehicles on the flow of non-motorized vehicles are simulated and analyzed by using the calibrated model. The relevant results can provide a basis for urban management and road design.