Pedestrian flow characteristics through bends: Effects of angle and desired speed

This study quantitatively described how the desired speed, which may reflect the emergency level, and the angle of bend affect the pedestrian flow by comparing fundamental diagrams derived from trajectory data collected through laboratory experiments. Results showed that the slow running (≈ 2.8 m/s speed) can increase the maximum flow through a bend by around 60 % compared to normal walking (≈ 1.4 m/s speed) regardless of the turning angle. Further, it was found that the turning angle of the bend has a stronger negative impact on the moving speed of crowds under running conditions. Compared to the turning angle, congestion level seemed to have a minor impact on the average moving speed through the bends. On the other hand, for 90° and 180° bends, the variations of the speed were observed to decrease with the increase of density which indicated that although congestion level deteriorated the flow conditions at bends, it homogenized the collective moving speed of pedestrians

Crowd Dynamics, Management and Control at Tourist Attractions during Special Events: A Case Study at Souq Waqif Using Pedestride® Crowd Simulation Tool

"Large crowds can be expected at famous tourist attractions, e.g., Souq Waqif, during special events such as the FIFA World Cup 2022. A comprehensive understanding of crowd dynamics is extremely important in order to ensure safety of crowds and efficiency of crowd flows at large gathering spots. Pedestrian crowd simulation tools can be used to evaluate crowd flows and to verify crowd management and control strategies at public infrastructure. The objective of this study is to evaluate safety and efficiency of crowd flows at Souq Waqif, both under normal and emergency situations using Pedestride® Crowd Simulation tool developed at Melbourne University. This simulation model has been calibrated and validated using empirical data collected through controlled experiments and real-world observations. By simulating the increased visitor demand at Souq Waqif as a case study, we aim to highlight any required design modifications and to recommend and verify crowd management strategies in order to mitigate any unfavorable situations, such as stampede during any emergency. The study shows that at increased demands and during emergency evacuation, crowds tend to take similar route. Further, increased demands could elevate the maximum crowd density up to 6 p/m2 at gates and junctions. In order to mitigate such unfavorable situations, dynamic exit signs are needed to direct flows to other clear exits to avoid herding effect.

Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mode preferences

Various measures were recommended or imposed by the governments to control the spread of COVID-19. Travel behaviors are significantly influenced due to such measures. However, people have various travel needs ranging from grocery shopping to work. This study examines the changes that occurred in travel behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey that included questions on trip purpose, mode choice, distance traveled, and frequency of trips before and during COVID-19. 1203 responses were collected from various countries around the world. Results explained that trip purpose, mode choice, distance traveled, and frequency of trips for the primary travel were significantly different before and during the pandemic. Further, the majority of trips were made for shopping during the pandemic. There was a significant shift from public transport to private transport and non-motorized modes. People placed a higher priority on the pandemic related concerns while choosing a mode during the pandemic as compared to the general concerns. Gender, car ownership, employment status, travel distance, the primary purpose of traveling, and pandemic-related underlying factors during COVID-19 were found to be significant predictors of mode choice during the pandemic. Outcomes of this study could be useful in transport planning and policymaking during pandemics based on the travel needs of people. In particular, government authorities could utilize such knowledge for planning smart and partial lockdowns. Service providers, e.g., taxi companies and retailers, could use such information to better plan their services and operations

Effect of U-turns and heavy vehicles on the saturation flow rates of left-turn lanes at signalized intersections

© 2020 by the authors. The Saturation Flow Rate (SFR) is a primary measure that can be used when estimating intersection capacity. Further, the efficiency of signal control parameters also depends on the accuracy of assumed SFR values. Driver behavior, type of movement, vehicle type, intersection layout, and other factors may have a significant impact on the saturation flow rate. Thus, it is expected that driving environments that have heterogeneous driver populationswith different driving habits and culturesmay have different SFRs. In practice, the proposed SFRs based on US standards (Highway Capacity Manual, 2016) have been adopted in the State of Qatar without validation or calibration to consider the local road environment and the characteristics of the driving population. This study aims to empirically analyze the saturation flow rates for exclusive left-turn lanes and shared left-and U-turn lanes at two signalized intersections in Doha city, while considering the effects of heavy vehicles and U-turn maneuvers. Empirical observations revealed that the average base SFR, i.e., when the influences from heavy vehicles and U-turns were excluded, could vary approximately from 1800 vehicles per hour per lane (vphpl) to 2100 vphpl for exclusive left-turning lanes and approximately from 1800 vphpl to 1900 vphpl for shared left-and U-turning lanes. Furthermore, this study proposed different adjustment factors for heavy vehicle and U-turn percentages which can be applied in practice in designing signalized intersections, particularly in the State of Qatar

Exploratory study on self-awareness and self-preparedness of Malaysian rail passengers for emergency evacuations

This study explores the self-awareness and self-preparedness among Malaysian rail passengers during potential emergency evacuations. A questionnaire survey was carried out at a major rail transit terminal in Kuala Lumpur, and 329 complete responses were collected. The results showed that the majority of survey respondents were unaware of the evacuation information and tools, despite the fact that 48% of them claimed to be familiar with the rail transit terminal. Males were found to be more prepared than females, and older passengers have less awareness and readiness than younger passengers. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing the visibility and clarity of the evacuation information displayed inside public buildings. Other critical concerns are the emphasis on gender mainstreaming in evacuation strategies and the involvement of elderly people in emergency response and educational programs. Outcomes of this study could be useful for emergency response teams to develop appropriate evacuation strategies to enhance safety at public transit hubs.The Universiti Sains Malaysia, under the Research University (RUI) Grant Scheme, (1001/PAWAM/8014022). The Qatar National Library funded the publication of this article

Role of transport during outbreak of infectious diseases: Evidence from the past

The outbreak of infectious diseases affects people's lifestyles significantly, as they undertake fewer outdoor activities as a protective measure and to follow government orders of restricted movements. This paper reviewed the scientific literature related to transport and infectious diseases to gain insights into managing such circumstances. The outcomes indicate that the transport sector has a two-fold role during the outbreak of infectious diseases: controlling the spread of infection and assessing the impact of reduced outdoor activities on the transport sector. It was found that local and international travel restrictions, if applied at the initial stages, are effective in controlling the spread of infectious disease; at a later stage, behavioral changes become prominent in limiting the spread. Further, the outbreaks resulted in a significant reduction in mobility, altering traffic patterns with lower peaks and improving traffic safety. The public transport mode share reduced considerably and people preferred cars and active modes. These changes also showed positive impacts on air pollution and water pollution. Further, the air transport and tourism sector were noted to be the hardest hit and will recover slowly. The outcomes from the review will be useful for planners and administrators in managing future emergency conditions better

Self-reported likely behaviour of rail passengers during an emergency evacuation-A case study of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Prior knowledge on how passengers behave during a potential emergency evacuation could be advantageous in designing efficient crowd management and emergency procedures. This study examines the likely behaviours of Malaysian passengers during a potential future emergency evacuation situation. Four key behaviours, i.e., reactive, proactive, cooperative and competitive behaviours, were considered. A questionnaire survey was conducted at one major rail transit terminal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to collect the data. All 301 questionnaire responses displayed non-uniformity in their likely behaviour. Results explained that the passengers are more likely to be proactive (e.g., move to exit immediately as soon as the warning siren is sounded) than reactive (e.g., go to assembly point after being instructed) during the pre-evacuation. Further, people are more likely to be cooperative (e.g., help other people who may have difficulties in getting out) than competitive (e.g., push or shove other peoples to get out quickly) during the evacuation. In terms of demographic influences on behaviours, results demonstrated that there could be significant differences in certain behaviours between males and females and between different age groups. The findings of this study provide valuable information for developing models for simulating passengers' evacuation at rail transit terminals. Further, the managers of emergency response could utilize such data and outcomes in devising effective crowd management strategies and developing appropriate training and educational campaigns.This work was supported by the Universiti Sains Malaysia , under the Research University (RUI) Grant Scheme , ( 1001/PAWAM/8014022 ).Scopu

Exploring Crowd Management and Evacuation Strategies using Microscopic Pedestrian Simulation: A Case Study of Souq Waqif

Safe egress plans are critical for crowd evacuation at touristic attractions, particularly during special events, as visitors are often unaware of their options. Identification of bottlenecks in the walking spaces are vital for the development of safe and efficient crowd management and evacuation plans. This paper aims to explore crowd management and evacuation strategies for pedestrian egress flow in Souq Waqif, which is a famous touristic attraction in Doha, under varying crowd demand conditions. PTV Viswalk pedestrian simulation tool was used to evaluate crowd evacuation strategies and identify potential bottlenecks during the egress of crowds. Several guided and unguided evacuation scenarios were developed to understand the egress patterns to the allocated assembly areas inside the Souq. The crowd demands and densities were estimated using publicly available data. Eight major locations were identified as the bottleneck during the simulation. Simulation outcomes highlighted that the current evacuation plans and assembly locations are inadequate in providing safe evacuation routes. However, guided scenarios reduced evacuation times considerably when compared to unguided scenarios, particularly when the demand is high. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to identify the effect of variations in walking behavior parameters in the simulation model. Variations in the walking behavior parameters changed the evacuation times considerably. Thus, proper calibration of walking behavior parameters considering local conditions could improve simulation accuracy. This study helps to identify probable bottlenecks and their characteristics that could help policymakers to assess the effectiveness of evacuation plans and crowd management strategies for crowd safety

Exploring Microscopic Characteristics of Bicycle Riders’ following Behaviors in a Single-File Movement

Cycling can bring a wide range of social, economic, and health benefits to individuals and communities. The safety and efficiency of bicycle facilities can be significantly impacted by the interactions among riders. This study aims to examine the microscopic characteristics of how cyclists interact with each other when they are in a single file movement based on the trajectory data collected from an experiment. Reaction delay was obtained by optimizing the correlation between relative speed and acceleration curves for individual cyclists and it was found that even for a given cyclist, this characteristic time delay could vary considerably, and be situation-dependent. Furthermore, it was found that the distribution of reaction delay, which has an average (±SD) of 0.66 s (±0.33 s), followed a log-normal distribution. The strong correlation observed between relative speed and time-delayed acceleration resembles the behavior observed in car-following situations, highlighting that relative speed is an essential factor influencing the acceleration behavior of cyclists. Multiple linear regression models were used to understand the association between acceleration and other key microscopic variables, e.g., spacing and relative speed, which are commonly used in microscopic behavior models. While the spacing between cyclists was found to have a significant impact on acceleration behavior, its effect was not as significant as that of relative speed. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights into the cyclists’ behavior and can aid in the development of microscopic simulation models.This research was supported by Qatar University under the Student Grant scheme (Grant no: QUST-1-CENG-2023-779)

Modeling Trajectories and Trajectory Variation of Turning Vehicles at Signalized Intersections

© 2013 IEEE. Information on the trajectories of turning vehicles at signalized intersections can be used in numerous applications, such as movement planning of autonomous vehicles, realistic representation of surrounding vehicle movements in driving simulator and virtual reality applications, and in microscopic simulation tools. However, no proper framework is currently available to realistically model and estimate trajectories of turning vehicles reflecting the intersection geometries, which is critical for the reliability of simulation models. This study explores the applicability of the minimum-jerk principle, which has been initially applied in neuroscience and robotics domains, to model and simulate free-flow trajectories of turning vehicles. The modeling method is validated by comparing model outputs with empirical trajectories collected at several signalized intersections in Nagoya, Japan. The capability of the model in realistically capturing the variations in turning trajectories based on intersection geometry (e.g., intersection angle and turning radius) is also explained. Further, the applicability of the modeling framework at intersections with different geometric features under different speeds and accelerations are also discussed.This work was supported in part by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under Grant 19H02261