Using Bluetooth to Estimate the Impact of Congestion on Pedestrian Route Choice at Train Stations

At train stations escalators and stairs are common bottlenecks, typically just after train arrivals which cause a peak in pedestrian traffic from platform to station hall. Large stations typically have multiple sets of escalators and stairs, and therefore offer a route choice for passengers. In previous research the impact of waiting time and type of vertical infrastructure on pedestrian route choice behaviour have been identified, and to a limited extent quantified. This paper presents the results of a study of route choice behavior at congested stairs and escalators at Utrecht Central Station in The Netherlands. For data collection, Bluetooth scanunits have been used to measure route choice and waiting time at stairs and escalators. Several route choice models have been estimated to describe the probability of choosing a congested escalator route over alternative uncongested stairway routes. It is found that the preference of escalators over stairways is statistically significant for pedestrian route choice. Moreover, waiting time due to congestion upstream of escalators has a measurable impact on pedestrian route choice. These insights are valuable when improving design and operations of train stations.