A GENERALISED FUNCTION FOR MODELING BI-DIRECTIONAL FLOW EFFECTS ON INDOOR WALKWAYS IN HONG KONG

This paper extends previous research on pedestrian flow characteristics in Hong Kong by investigating the relationships between walking speed and pedestrian flow under various bi-directional flow conditions. The effects of bi-directional pedestrian flows are investigated empirically, with particular emphasis on their effects on walking time for different directions of flow at indoor walkways. Flow measurements were conducted at selected indoor walkways in urban areas. A generalized walking time function that takes bi-directional flow distributions (or flow ratios) into account is proposed for these pedestrian facilities and calibrated for various flow conditions ranging from free-flow to congested-flow (at-capacity) situations. The bi-directional flow effects on free-flow walking speed, effective capacity and at-capacity walking speed are validated with observed data. It was found that the bi-directional flow ratio has no significant impact on free-flow walking speed. However, the effective capacity as well as the at-capacity walking speeds decreased with increasing imbalance of directional split of pedestrians. Bi-directional effects were particularly significant in the minor flow direction, and were also more significant in shopping areas than in commercial areas. The effective capacity estimated by the proposed generalized function methodology increases gradually and represents an improvement over a step function methodology, which is prone to estimation errors when flow ratios are found between incremental steps. The findings and study methodology could be used as a reference for the design and improvement of pedestrian walkways in other Asian cities with similar pedestrian flow conditions, and could be extended to any city in the world after calibrating the function for local conditions.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

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  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Lam, WHK
  • Lee, JYS
  • Chan, K S
  • Goh, P K
• Publication Date: 2003-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 789-810
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue Number: 9
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Methodology; Pedestrian density; Pedestrian flow; Pedestrian movement; Walking; Walkways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Generalized function
• Geographic Terms: Hong Kong (China)
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00961836
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 18 2003 12:00AM