CROWDING ON TTC PLATFORMS

MIE 440 Design Project Sissi Wang

Jennifer Wong Song Yang

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Background Problem deniFon ExisFng soluFons MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Overview Background MoFvaFon NegaFve eects: Psychological NegaFve eects: Health & Safety NegaFve eects: Financial Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Background MoFvaFon Research Users studied Methodologies employed Needs Analysis Conclusion

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conscious Obstacles Unconscious Obstacles Main needs of users Conclusion

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion Future work Summary

Problem DeniFon

Passengers congregate in preferred areas on loading plaVorms during high trac

Leads to uneven crowd density Areas of high density cause increased train

boarding Fmes

Background Problem

deniFon ExisFng

soluFons

MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

North York Sta+on pla/orm map Entrances circled in red

Problem DeniFon

Fang (2003) showed that movement velocity has an inverse exponenFal relaFonship with crowd density

Background Problem

deniFon ExisFng

soluFons

MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

ExisFng SoluFons Manpower (staFon

police/a]endants)

Signage markings on plaVorm, signs on walls

PA broadcasts Best soluFon is to hire sta, but people are expensive

Background Problem

deniFon ExisFng

soluFons

MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Tokyo subway during rush hour

NegaFve Eects: Psychological

Regular exposure to crowds leads to:

Higher stress levels More aggressive behaviour Lower cogniFve performance (Lundbergh, 1976) Environments with large amount of sensory sFmuli overload the nervous system (Milgram, 1970)

Background MoFvaFon NegaFve

eects: Psychological

NegaFve eects: Health & Safety

NegaFve eects: Financial

Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

NegaFve Eects: Health & Safety Background MoFvaFon NegaFve

eects: Psychological

NegaFve eects: Health & Safety

NegaFve eects: Financial

Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Regular exposure to crowds leads to:

Increase in blood pressure (Datri, 1975) Depressed immune system (Lundbergh, 1976) Overcrowded condiFons also facilitate the spread of infecFous diseases

Safety issue due to passengers gefng pushed o and injured

NegaFve Eects: Financial

Gefng 1 or 2 more addiFonal trains into staFon within an hours Fme can buy an extra 3-5 percent capacity and possibly increase ridership (Adam Giambrone)

Saves passengers Fme and overall transportaFon Fme

Background MoFvaFon NegaFve

eects: Psychological

NegaFve eects: Health & Safety

NegaFve eects: Financial

Research Needs Analysis Conclusion

Users Studied Focus groups were conducted with university students from the following disciplines: Commerce (1) LifeSci (1) PoliSci (1) CompSci (1) Engineering (3)

Ages of parFcipants ranged from 19 to 22

ParFcipants ride the TTC at least 6 Fmes/week (3 round trips)

Background MoFvaFon Research Users studied Methodologies

employed

Needs Analysis Conclusion

Users Studied Users studied covered a number of TTC staFons:

Background MoFvaFon Research Users studied Methodologies

employed

Needs Analysis Conclusion

Terminal staFons (Finch, Kennedy, Kipling, Don Mills)

Interchange staFons (St. George, Bloor-Yonge)

StaFons near UofT/Union

Methodologies employed Background MoFvaFon Research Users studied Methodologies

employed

Needs Analysis Conclusion

Where do you stand on the plaVorm?

ObservaFons

Why? Obstacles

User needs Improvements?

IdenFfy whether good or bad user

Verify crowding near entrances

Conscious Obstacles Conscious Obstacles user consciously chooses to stay near a plaVorm entrance

Laziness (lack of moFvaFon) Dicult to reach middle of plaVorm due to

exisFng crowd Following others due to lack of familiarity with

surroundings Strategic train door selecFon (for desFnaFon)

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conscious

Obstacles Unconscious

Obstacles Main needs of

users

Conclusion

Unconscious Obstacles Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conscious

Obstacles Unconscious

Obstacles Main needs of

users

Conclusion

Unconscious Obstacles user stays near entrances without realizing it

Travelling with a large group of people Areas near entrances feel more spacious IneecFve TTC signs/broadcasts

Main Needs of Users Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conscious

Obstacles Unconscious

Obstacles Main needs of

users

Conclusion

Speed Accessibility Comfort

More benches

Leaning against walls

More staircases

Wider plaVorms

Board train faster Bigger doors

More frequent trains

Conveyor belts

Open path across plaVorm

Be]er control of entrance vs. exit ow

More personal space

Future Work

Study: Users in other age groups Users who do not regularly take the TTC users

who have not developed strategies yet

Other public transit systems (e.g. GO, streetcars, etc.) for addiFonal insights

Lead-users (law enforcement/military, transit systems in other countries)

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion Future work Summary

Summary

Problem: reduce crowding near TTC plaVorm entrances

NegaFve eects: health, safety, nancial Focus group used to study commuters Obstacles: conscious & unconscious User needs: comfort, accessibility, and speed

Background MoFvaFon Research Needs Analysis Conclusion Future work Summary