Modeling of pedestrian dynamics on central refuge island of signalized two-stage midblock pedestrian crossing

With the goal of improving pedestrians´ convenience and safety, signalized two-stage midblock crossings are increasingly installed in highly populated areas in developing countries such as China. Accurately design of crosswalk, especially the area of central refuge island is one of the most critical issues should be properly decided. In this paper, three signalization types for two-stage midblock pedestrian crossings are proposed. Pedestrian dynamics on central refuge island is formulated. Number of pedestrian waiting on central refuge island at any time of a cycle can be calculated by the model. Then, the maximum number of pedestrian waiting on central refuge island and the minimum needed area of central refuge island under a signal plan can be calculated. A case study is used to evaluate the proposed model. Sensitivity analysis has also been done to better assist traffic engineer in designing of two-stage midblock pedestrian crossing.