Pedestrian Volume Research Articles

Analysis of left-turn lane capacity under autonomous vehicle mixed flow considering the influence of pedestrian volume and crosswalk length

Conflicts between pedestrians and left-turning vehicles cause pedestrian safety hazards and decrease vehicle turning capacity at signalized intersections. This commonly occurs in Japan where they share the same traffic light phase. Road capacity is influenced by the interaction between them. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) promise to improve the safety and efficiency of road networks. However, they will face the same problems as human-driven vehicles with pedestrian avoidance. Thus, this study estimated the capacity of the left-turn lane, in Japan, under AV mixed flows taking into account AV penetration rates, pedestrian flow rates, and crosswalk length. The impact of AVs on capacity was analyzed with different settings for the critical gap between vehicles and pedestrians. It was found that if AVs comply perfectly with traffic law, the capacity of the left-turn lane sharply decreases, especially in the case of long crosswalks.

Clustering Approach to Generate Pedestrian Traffic Pattern Groups


 
 
 
 This study shows the development of patterns of temporal hourly volume distributions in an urban area in Costa Rica, based on a cluster analysis of pedestrian data. This study aims to establish specific pattern groups for the temporal variation of weekday pedestrian volumes applying cluster analysis in the central business district of Guadalupe in San José. For 46 counting sites, vectors with the weekday hourly factors, the proportion of the daily pedestrian traffic, were estimated. A hierarchical cluster method was implemented to group the vectors of hourly factors from the different counting sites. This method groups elements by minimizing the Euclidean distance between elements of the same group and, at the same time, maximizing the distances from elements of other groups. In addition, the groups found through this analysis are related to land use through buffers of different radios. Eight temporal pattern groups were obtained through cluster analysis. Two pattern groups account for more than two-thirds of the sites included in the study. Fisher’s exact independence test shows that banks and public services could explain some of the patterns observed. The classification of 46 counting sites based on temporal distribution patterns, and the relation with the establishments in the area, allows a simplification of the information and facilitates an understanding of the pedestrian mobility in the area. Further research is required that leads towards geographical elements that could explain the differences in temporal and mobility patterns.
 
 
 

KAJIAN KONDISI EKSISTING FASILITAS JALUR PEDESTRIAN (STUDI KASUS JALAN SRI RATU SAFIATUDDIN BANDA ACEH)

Sri Ratu Safiatuddin Street is one of the central areas of trade and culinary tourism in the city of Banda Aceh. The activities on this road vary, causing overcrowding and disruption to the performance of public facilities, including the pedestrian paths. The dysfunctional and dilapidated pedestrian path facilities cause pedestrians unable to fully utilize these facilities. Ideally, the existence of good and acceptable pedestrian path facilities can protect pedestrians from danger when concurrently using the street with other modes of transportation. Based on the above problems, this study aims to examine the conditions of the existing pedestrian path facilities on Sri Ratu Safiatuddin Street in order to meet the standards set by the Ministry of PUPR in the Guidelines for Technical Planning of Pedestrian Facilities Number 02/ SE/M/2018, divided into three aspects, namely safety, health, and environment. The data analysis method used is a quantitative method with quantitative descriptive analysis tools, which is to compare the standard criteria of technical planning guidelines for pedestrian facilities with the real conditions. The peak time for volume of pedestrians the highest was 105 pedestrians/15 minutes, the highest volume of pedestrians was 66 pedestrians/hour and the highest volume of two-way traffic was 1787 vehicles/hour. For the value of PV² = 1,5 x 108, P = 61,25 (pedestrians/hour), V = 1607 (vehicles/hour) and an average speed of <40 km/hour, a crossing recommendation is obtained in the form of a zebra crossing. The results obtained were the condition of the existing pedestrian lane facilities on Jalan Sri Ratu Safiatuddin, which showed a value of 44,02% of the facilities that had met the standard.

A dynamic physical-distancing model to evaluate spatial measures for prevention of Covid-19 spread

Motivated by the global pandemic of COVID-19, this study investigates the spatial factors influencing physical distancing, and how these affect the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, by integrating pedestrian dynamics with a modified susceptible–exposed–infectious model. Contacts between infected and susceptible pedestrians are examined by determining physical-distancing pedestrian dynamics in three types of spaces, and used to estimate the proportion of newly infected pedestrians in these spaces. Desired behaviour for physical distancing can be observed from simulation results, and aggregated simulation findings reveal that certain layouts enable physical distancing to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We also provide policymakers with several design guidelines on how to proactively design more effective and resilient space layouts in the context of pandemics to keep low transmission risks while maintaining a high pedestrian volume. This approach has enormous application potential for other infectious-disease transmission and space assessments.

Pedestrian mode identification, classification and characterization by tracking mobile data

In recent years, with the emergence of personal mobility (PM) and the importance of eco-friendly modes, the role of pedestrian has increased. However, studies on pedestrian, especially methods for determining pedestrian volume, are very limited. Therefore, in this research, we study algorithms for detecting pedestrians based on mobile data and GPS base station information, which depends on the actual user location. To identify the travel modes, including pedestrian group, the key variables are travel speed, travel time, travel distance, and departure time. In addition, the key variable for categorizing pedestrian group into main and access modes is whether or not to go dwell location (destination) and to use transportation vehicles. The results of pedestrian as main mode and access mode are based on a spatio-temporal distribution, and the ratios of the two pedestrian mode types are compared and verified using household traffic survey data.

ANALISIS TINGKAT PELAYANAN (LEVEL OF SERVICE) PEJALAN KAKI PADA RUAS JALAN DRAMAGA KOTA BOGOR

As a result of the high volume of pedestrians around Dramaga Street, Bogor City (in the morning, afternoon, and evening) causing conflicts between pedestrians in the area. These conflicts occur both among pedestrians, and pedestrians with the motor vehicle. This research aims to analyze the pedestrian level of service (LOS), pedestrian characteristics, pedestrian facilities, and develop a pedestrian design applied to these roads. The method used in this study is a survey of pedestrian volume and direct observation of pedestrian characteristics, then analyzed based on the lever of service. The results show that the level of service on this section has LOS (level of service) A to LOS (level of service) B, with the sidewalk segment in front of Bogor Station having the lowest level of service. Based on individual characteristics, there are differences in the speed of each pedestrian. The analysis show facility segment in front of Bogor Station has the most shortcomings/at least according to the regulations. The development of the pedestrian path design follows the regulation of the Minister of Public Works No: 03/PRT/M/2014 and adapts it to the existing conditions.

Stepwise multiple linear regression applied to study the influence of pedestrian volumes according to environmental characteristics

Desde comienzos de los años 90, la evolución de los factores socioeconómicos, locales y regionales en la sociedad occidental ha hecho que el peatón se convierta en el foco de los planes de movilidad urbanos llevados a cabo hasta la actualidad. Esto se puede comprobar considerando las numerosas investigaciones realizadas en este ámbito donde se evidencia la necesidad de fundamentar la relación existente entre el planeamiento urbano y la salud de las personas. Pese a que se han propuesto numerosas metodologías para analizar estas relaciones, se observa que aquella que se da entre el volumen de peatones en una zona y las características del entorno dan mejores resultados, aunque partan de modelos multivariables difíciles de calcular. El propósito de este artículo pretende recopilar y reducir aquellas variables que afecten de manera significativa a los movimientos poblacionales en función del nivel comercial de la zona de estudio. Para ello, se utilizará entre los diferentes modelos matemáticos existentes, el de regresión lineal escalonado. Finalmente, se concluye que la conectividad y el mobiliario urbano en áreas primarias, la presencia de bares y oficinas en áreas secundarias y la conectividad, densidad residencial y zonas de uso mixto en áreas terciarias son factores clave que deberán ser consideraros en la planificación futura de las zonas estudiadas.

Spatial disparity of individual and collective walking behaviors: A new theoretical framework

The creation of walkable environments, and the promotion of walkability for health and environmental benefits have been widely advocated. However, the term “walkability” is often associated with two related but distinct walking behaviors: individual and collective walking behaviors. It is unclear whether spatial disparity exists between them, and whether built environment characteristics have distinctive effects on them. This research was the first to explore the spatial disparity between the two types of walking behaviors. Collective walking behaviors were measured using the citywide pedestrian volume, extracted from 219,248 street view images. Individual walking behaviors were measured form a population-level survey. Spatial mismatches were found between the two types of walking behaviors and built environment elements had stronger associations with collective walking behaviors. Therefore, it is prudent to theoretically differentiate collective and individual walking behaviors, and targeted planning policies must be developed to promote one or both types of walking behaviors.

Social Force Model-Based Safety Evaluation of Intersections in Arterials Considering the Pedestrian Yield Rule

To enhance the safety of pedestrians crossing the street, a series of new regulations regarding pedestrian yield has been proposed and widely implemented across cities. In this study, we first made some improvements to the social force model, in which pedestrian crossing at the intersection, drivers’ psychology of giving way, vehicle yield to pedestrians, vehicle yield in different directions, the influence of pedestrians crossing boundaries, and signal lamp groups on pedestrian behavior were considered. Furthermore, pedestrian crossing and vehicle yield safety models were established, based on which the comprehensive safety evaluation model of intersections in arterials was established, in which two indices—(1) the safety degree of pedestrian crossings and (2) vehicle acceleration interference—were combined with the entropy weight method. Finally, four types of intersections in arterials were studied using a simulation: the intersections between different levels of arterials, and intersections with one-time and two-times pedestrian crossings. Moreover, safety evaluation and analysis of those intersections, considering the rule of pedestrian yield, were conducted combined with the trajectory data from the VISSIM simulation. The relevant results showed that for pedestrians crossing the street, the pedestrian safety of two-time crossing is significantly higher than that of one-time crossing, and compared with the arterial, the pedestrian crossing distance of the sub-arterial is shorter, and the pedestrian perception is safer. Moreover, due to the herd psychology effect, the increase in pedestrian flow volume improves the safety perception of pedestrians at the intersection.

Research on the influence of street characteristics on pedestrian volume in the domination area of a regional central city

Research on the influence of street characteristics on pedestrian volume in the domination area of a regional central city

Pedestrianization Impacts on Air Quality Perceptions and Environment Satisfaction: The Case of Regenerated Streets in Downtown Seoul.

Previous studies have investigated the increased volume of pedestrians to establish success rates of the pedestrian-friendly policy after a street redesign intervention. However, few studies have focused on the effect of street regeneration on air quality perception and user satisfaction. The influence of the physical environment on street vitality may vary, depending on area context and regional factors. A comprehensive understanding of effective interventions could increase pedestrians’ satisfaction with their walking environment. This study examines the effect of pedestrianization on individuals’ air quality perception and satisfaction, based on three regenerated streets in Seoul, Korea. We analyzed data from 672 questionnaires administered after the pedestrianization project. We used a subset of variables in a binary logistic regression model to understand general determinants of user satisfaction toward their walking environment. Our case study contributes to the verification of pedestrianization effects on air quality perceptions. Results show that overall satisfaction could be acquired through positive perceptions of air quality, as achieved through pedestrianization of streets. Moreover, pedestrian satisfaction varies according to the purpose, activities and health-related behaviors and attitudes. The interrelationships between environmental health, activity, satisfaction and quality of life provide design insights to consider when implementing pedestrianization projects in the future.

Evaluating safety performance of the offset diamond interchange design using VISSIM and surrogate safety assessment model

Many existing interchanges, which were built mostly in 1950s and 1960s based on old design guidelines, have operational and/or safety problems due to the inconsistency with current traffic and pedestrian demands. Therefore, upgrading existing designs based on recent policies and demands could result in improving the performance of old interchanges. This research evaluates traffic safety and pedestrian performance of the new offset diamond interchange (ODI) as a substitute for failing conventional interchanges. The ODI design, which showed potential in improving traffic operation in a past study by the authors, was compared to nine interchange designs using VISSIM and the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) in this study to examine the safety and pedestrian performance. Overall, 324 simulation scenarios were tested with various conditions of traffic and pedestrian volumes, turning traffic ratios, traffic distribution, and truck percentages. According to the results, the ODI showed potential to be a promising design in terms of safety and pedestrian performance. However, the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) resulted in fewer simulated conflicts compared to the new ODI. On the other hand, the ODI design had a better performance in terms of pedestrian performance.

Evaluation of Protected Left-Turn Phasing and Leading Pedestrian Intervals Effects on Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is an important public health issue for the United States, with pedestrian fatalities representing approximately 16% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2016. Nationwide, transportation agencies are increasing their efforts to implement engineering-based improvements that increase pedestrian safety. These agencies need statistically rigorous crash modification factors (CMFs) to demonstrate the safety effectiveness of such countermeasures, and to apply in benefit–cost analyses to justify their implementation. This study focused on developing CMFs for two countermeasures that show promise for improving pedestrian safety: protected or protected/permissive left-turn phasing, and leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs). Data were acquired from four North American cities that had installed one or both of the countermeasures of interest: Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; Charlotte, NC; and Toronto, ON. The empirical Bayes before–after study design was applied to estimate the change in expected crash frequency for crashes following treatment. The protected left-turn phasing evaluation showed a benefit in reducing vehicle–vehicle injury crashes, but did not produce statistically significant results for vehicle–pedestrian crashes. For those crashes a disaggregate analysis did reveal that this treatment could be especially beneficial where pedestrian volumes exceed 5,500 per day. The LPI evaluation showed a statistically significant reduction in vehicle–pedestrian crashes with an estimated CMF of 0.87.

Understanding the Impact of Street Patterns on Pedestrian Distribution: A Case Study in Tianjin, China

This paper investigates the impact of street pattern, metro stations, and density of urban functions on pedestrian distribution in Tianjin, China. Thirteen neighborhoods are selected from the city center and suburbs. Pedestrian and vehicle volumes are observed through detailed gate count from 703 street segments in these neighborhoods. Regression models are constructed to analyze the impact of the street pattern, points of interest (POIs), and vehicle and metro accessibility on pedestrian volumes in each neighborhood and across the city. The results show that when analyzing all neighborhoods together, local street connectivity and POIs had a strong influence on pedestrian distribution. Proximity to metro stations and vehicle accessibility had a minor impact. When analyzing each neighborhood separately, both local- and city-scale street patterns affect pedestrian distributions. These findings suggest that the street pattern provides a base layer for metro stations to attract both the emergence of active urban functions and pedestrian movement.

Characterization, Sources and Excessive Cancer Risk of PM2.5-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Different Green Spaces in Lin'an, Hangzhou, China.

PM2.5 samples were collected from residential, commercial, plaza and public green spaces in Lin'an, Hangzhou, in spring (March and April) and winter (February and December) in 2017. PAHs were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their sources were identified using the diagnostic ratio (DR) and principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR). The average PAH concentration in winter was 1.3 times that in spring (p < 0.01). The PAH concentrations in the green spaces decreased as commercial > residential > plaza > public green space (p < 0.05). The sources of PAHs were vehicle emissions and coal combustion pollution transported by northern Chinese air masses. Slightly higher excessive cancer risks were determined in the commercial and residential green spaces than in the plaza and public green spaces. Green coverage, pedestrian volume, traffic flow and building density greatly influenced the decrease in the PAH concentration in the green spaces. Among the 4 types of green spaces, public green space had the most ecological benefits and should be fully utilized in urban green space planning to improve public health in urban spaces.

Spatiotemporal exploration of Melbourne pedestrian demand

Creating a cityscape conducive to a safe and efficient pedestrian experience requires a holistic understanding of the relationship between the built structures of a city and the movement of individuals within it. To empower policy makers to design, implement, and successfully deliver measures aimed at reducing footpath congestion and improving pedestrian safety the link between pedestrian volume and different features of the built environment needs to be investigated. Observed pedestrian counts at 50 intersections across the City of Melbourne are used as the input dependent variable of two regression models. A global ordinary least squares regression model and a local geographically weighted regression model are generated and evaluated for best fit of purpose. Spatiotemporal statistical handling is employed to clean the data of contextual anomalies. The output of the regression models identified eight key features as the most statistically significant predictors of pedestrian volume in Melbourne, Australia. These features include distance to schools and train stations and measures of footpath connectivity. This study reveals that due to significant spatial and temporal non-stationarity exhibited between pedestrian count sensors and built environment variables, the geographically weighted regression is the most appropriate modelling technique. This paper presents a methodology for the creation of a robust pedestrian prediction model.

Exploring Effective Built Environment Factors for Evaluating Pedestrian Volume in High-Density Areas: A New Finding for the Central Business District in Melbourne, Australia

Previous studies have mostly examined how sustainable cities try to promote non-motorized travel by creating a walking-friendly environment. Such existing studies provide little data that identifies how the built environment affects pedestrian volume in high-density areas. This paper presents a methodology that combines person correlation analysis, stepwise regression, and principal component analysis for exploring the internal correlation and potential impact of built environment variables. To study this relationship, cross-sectional data in the Melbourne central business district were selected. Pearson’s correlation coefficient confirmed that visible green ratio and intersection density were not correlated to pedestrian volume. The results from stepwise regression showed that land-use mix degree, public transit stop density, and employment density could be associated with pedestrian volume. Moreover, two principal components were extracted by factor analysis. The result of the first component yielded an internal correlation where land-use and amenities components were positively associated with the pedestrian volume. Component 2 presents parking facilities density, which negatively relates to the pedestrian volume. Based on the results, existing street problems and policy recommendations were put forward to suggest diversifying community service within walking distance, improving the service level of the public transit system, and restricting on-street parking in Melbourne.

Revitalizing historic districts: Identifying built environment predictors for street vibrancy based on urban sensor data

Vibrancy is indispensable and beneficial for revitalization of historic districts. Hence, identifying built environment predictors for vibrancy is of great interest to urban practitioners and policy makers. However, it is challenging. On the one hand, there is no consensus in selection of appropriate proxy for vibrancy. On the other hand, the built environment is multidimensional, but limited studies examined its impacts on vibrancy from different dimensions simultaneously. The Baitasi Area is a typical historic district in Beijing, China. In this study, on the basis of a long-term repeatedly measured dataset generated from the Citygrid sensors, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of street vibrancy in Baitasi Area and examined its built environment predictors in two seasons (i.e., summer/autumn and winter), with pedestrian volume as the proxy for vibrancy and built environment portrayed from four different dimensions (i.e., morphology, configuration, function, and landscape). We found that (1) the street vibrancy in Baitasi Area is temporally relatively evenly distributed, but with higher spatial concentration; (2) microclimate and built environment are more significant in winter than in summer/autumn; (3) street morphology and configuration features are more significant predictors than street function and landscape features; (4) generally, streets with higher point of interest (POI) diversity, higher buildings, and stronger network connection tend to have higher vibrancy. This study provides decision makers with insights in revitalizing historic districts.

Qualitative Evaluation of Pedestrian Facilities using the PLOS Model

This paper evaluates the efficiency of existing pedestrian facilities in Ludhiana, Punjab (India) using the Pedestrian Level of Service (PLOS) model. Assessment of the PLOS is essential in analysing the factors that lead to pedestrian congestion in the city. The study focuses on the major junctions and the city’s core and is limited to Ludhiana considering the population projection and the proposed Land use. The paper is an exploratory study that collects and analyses data from primary and secondary sources. Primary studies included on-site observations and surveys such as user evaluation survey and pedestrian volume count, interviews, and discussions with domain experts and residents on pedestrian facilities’ problems. The approach is intended to assist Urban Planners and Transportation Engineers in making informed decisions when designing road cross-sections that satisfy pedestrians’ basic need and assess and prioritise the needs of existing roadways for sidewalk retrofit development. Further, this study can be used as a benchmark for pedestrianizing the other congested streets and intersections.

A Case Study of Pedestrian Facility at Rangpo Traffic Intersection (Sikkim)

The risk to pedestrians increases as vehicular traffic increases, especially in developing countries where pedestrian movement is not given much consideration in design considerations. In hilly areas, pedestrian facilities such as foot paths and foot over bridges are available, but pedestrian crossings are not available at most of the busy intersections. The lack of dedicated pedestrian crossings causes pedestrians to cross at random, disrupting traffic flow and increasing pedestrian danger. In this analysis, a busy unsignalized intersection is investigated. This is a three-arm intersection leading to Majhitar, Rorathang and Teesta. A detailed traffic study (traffic volume and vehicle types) and pedestrian volume data is collected for each am. The information gathered is evaluated, and recommendations for engineering design and planning elements of pedestrian facilities along roadways and at road crossings are made.