Bidirectional Collision-Avoidance Behaviour of Pedestrians on Stairs

Taku Fujiyama and Nick Tyler
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Taku Fujiyama: Centre for Transport Studies, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, England
Nick Tyler: Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, England

Environment and Planning B, 2009, vol. 36, issue 1, 128-148

Abstract: Microscopic observations were performed in order to examine bidirectional collision-avoidance behaviour of pedestrians on stairs. Results suggest that characteristics of collision avoidance on stairs are different from those in a busy flat space. On stairs, pedestrians tended to detour at the beginning of a flight to avoid collision with another pedestrian already on the stairs. The authors call this lane collision avoidance. The side preference of pedestrians on stairs and the handedness of two-lane flows were explored. On dextral staircases, most pedestrians chose the right-hand side for collision avoidance, whereas in sinistral staircases, pedestrians did not necessarily choose the right-hand side. Investigation of the relative position of one pedestrian to another leading pedestrian showed that following pedestrians tended to shift laterally in relation to a leading pedestrian when the ‘front-back’ interpersonal distance between them was small. The obtained knowledge is useful for the development of pedestrian simulations.

Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirb:v:36:y:2009:i:1:p:128-148

DOI: 10.1068/b33123

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