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Frontiers of Engineering Management

ISSN 2095-7513

ISSN 2096-0255(Online)

CN 10-1205/N

Postal Subscription Code 80-905

Front. Eng    2017, Vol. 4 Issue (4) : 483-489    https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FEM-2017023
RESEARCH ARTICLE
A Bayesian modeling approach to bi-directional pedestrian flows in carnival events
S. Q. XIE1(), S. C. WONG1, William H. K. LAM2
1. Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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Abstract

Bi-directional pedestrian flows are common at crosswalks, footpaths, and shopping areas. However, the properties of pedestrian movement may vary in urban areas according to the type of walking facility. In recent years, crowd movements at carnival events have attracted the attention of researchers. In contrast to pedestrian behavior in other walking facilities, pedestrians whose attention is attracted by carnival displays or activities may slow down and even stop walking. The Lunar New Year Market is a traditional carnival event in Hong Kong held annually one week before the Lunar New Year. During the said event, crowd movements can be easily identified, particularly in Victoria Park, where the largest Lunar New Year Market in Hong Kong is hosted. In this study, we conducted a video-based observational survey to collect pedestrian flow and speed data at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Market on the eve of the Lunar New Year. Using the collected data, an extant mathematical model was calibrated to capture the relationships between the relevant macroscopic quantities, thereby providing insight into pedestrian behavior at the carnival event. Bayesian inference was employed to calibrate the model by using prior data obtained from a previous controlled experiment. Results obtained enhance our understanding of crowd behavior under different conditions at carnival events, thus facilitating the improvement of the safety and efficiency of similar events in the future.

Keywords pedestrian flow model      bi-directional interactions      empirical studies      Bayesian inference     
Corresponding Author(s): S. Q. XIE   
Just Accepted Date: 30 October 2017   Online First Date: 15 November 2017    Issue Date: 14 December 2017
 Cite this article:   
S. Q. XIE,S. C. WONG,William H. K. LAM. A Bayesian modeling approach to bi-directional pedestrian flows in carnival events[J]. Front. Eng, 2017, 4(4): 483-489.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fem/EN/10.15302/J-FEM-2017023
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fem/EN/Y2017/V4/I4/483
Fig.1  Lunar New Year Market in Victoria Park
StudyPositionNo. of total trajectoriesAverage walking speed/(m·s–1)Standard deviation of speed/(m·s–1)Average density /(pedestrian·m–2)Standard deviation of density/(pedestrian·m–2)
Xie et al. (2013)Controlled experiment11600.7400.202.070.51
Crosswalk at Central Station67881.1500.500.630.33
This studyVictoria Park263120.4430.291.160.74
Tab.1  Summary of data for Victoria Park, the controlled experiment, and the crosswalk at Central Station
StudyPositionCIVf/(m·s–1)θβαPosterior, p value
Xie et al. (2013)Controlled experimentEstimate1.0740.0620.0721.2710.5110
(95% CIs)(1.065,1.083)(0.058,0.066)(0.064,0.080)(1.208,1.336)
Crosswalk at Central StationEstimate1.3260.0650.0781.2140.5028
(95% CIs)(1.312,1.341)(0.061,0.069)(0.070,0.086)(1.149,1.275)
This studyMarket at Victoria ParkEstimate0.5450.0500.0701.2810.5025
(95% CIs)(0.536,0.553)(0.046,0.054)(0.062,0.079)(1.215,1.345)
Tab.2  Calibration results
Fig.2  Design charts for Vr against rr, rc with j of 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180° at the Lunar New Year Market in Victoria Park
Fig.3  Flow-total density relationship with different intersecting angles (rr = rc)
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