Waiting Zones for Real Life Scenarios: A Case Study Using a German Railway Station as an Example

Simulations of pedestrian dynamics aim to reproduce and predict the natural behaviour of pedestrians in different situations. In most models it is assumed that pedestrians constantly walk towards their destinations. Here we investigate the legitimacy of this assumption using data, collected during a field experiment and obtained from analysis of video recordings, at a major German railway station. Our observations suggest that a substantial proportion of people stand at certain locations for some time. In order to reproduce the observed behaviour adequately, we enhance an existing cellular automata framework with a new element to model standing persons, the so called waiting zones. Through simulations, we demonstrate how standing persons influence the overall dynamics. We also analyse how the developed model can be used for analysis of critical situations.

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