Pedestrian modelling in South Africa : a recent case study

Abstract

Paper presented at the 28th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 6 - 9 July 2009 "Sustainable Transport", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

The introduction of intermodal facilities has brought about a complex interaction between various modes of transport and land uses. Traditionally, evaluation of the movement within rail station facilities has been based on static analysis using the guidelines recommended in an outdated Norms, Guidelines and Standards' (NGS) document (SARCC, 1997). Little or no evaluation has been undertaken to assess the synergy or interaction of the various separate static components in a real-time environment. To date, most of the analysis conducted in micro-simulation has focused on the vehicular movements in and around station precincts with little consideration of pedestrian activities. The fact that pedestrians are a mode of transport and that every journey has a pedestrian component is often overlooked.Public transport(PT) services and facilities are provided primarily for people and not vehicles. It is therefore of paramount importance that the PT user pedestrian is well accommodated in the movement systems of the facility and its surrounds. The pedestrian system, vis-a-vis the local environment and treatment of routes to a facility, is critical towards contributing to an efficient, attractive and safe operating environment. The accommodation of mobility-impaired users is also crucial to the provision of a holistic system solution of each interchange location. According to research on the different categories of mobility-impairment, planning must address the specific needs of each group within the interchange area. Pedestrian modeling is used extensively in developed countries as a modern design tool to test complex design options. In the past, this technique has found limited use in South Africa. It nevertheless has vast potential to aid planners and designers in the future. This paper describes a recent casestudy (Bridge City) in Durban, South Africa which demonstrates the use and value of pedestrian modeling in the design of complex modal interchanges such as Bridge City and for stations throughout the country. The paper begins by explaining what and why pedestrian micro-simulation is considered an appropriate tool in engineering projects involving people. This is followed by evaluating several software packages considered for the analysis of the Bridge City project, followed by Assessment scenarios considered for analysis. Model inputs and assumptions are then defined after which the outputs of the model in terms of assessment criteria are presented. The paper concludes by summarizing the two main but significant findings that the pedestrian modeling has provided in this project.