Dynamic analysis of bidirectional pedestrian flow under fast walking condition

Abstract

The occasions where pedestrians move in a fast way can be frequently observed in daily life. However, research on pedestrian dynamics under fast walking condition is scarce, especially in bidirectional scenario. Therefore, in this paper we conduct an experimental study to compare the behavioral characteristics of normal walking and fast walking bidirectional pedestrian flows. The result shows that on average the crossing time decreases by around 29 % when walking fast. As observed from the individual fundamental diagram, the speed is always higher under fast walking condition at the same density, and the speed difference between normal walking and fast walking is obtained as Δv = −0.048ρ + 0.431. When the density is lower than 2 ped/m², the time to collision is smaller in fast walking flow. However, they become consistent at higher density, which may be a result of lane formation. The risks of these two pedestrian streams are further quantified through congestion level and crowd danger. It demonstrates that the risk is higher in fast walking bidirectional flow. It is hoped that our experimental results can be of help to the safety management of bidirectional pedestrian flow.