Stop, Station, and Terminal Capacity

May 4, 2004

Todays Topics
Station elements Sizing station elements Emergency evacuation considerations

Station Elements

Elevator

Guideway Platform Shelter

Bus Ped Access Access Walkway Ticket Machine

Stairs

Bench

Customer Info Trash Can

Lighting Phone Landscaping

Not Pictured
Faregates Park-and-ride access Bike storage Artwork Electronic displays Station agents Doorways Moving walkways Restrooms Driver break areas Vending Escalators Kiss-and-ride access

Types of Passenger Facilities

Bus stops
On-street No to few amenities

Transit centers
Usually off-street Few to many amenities

Transit stations
Off-street Many amenities

Types of Passenger Facilities

Design Issues
How many bus bays (loading areas) are needed? Is there enough room for passengers to wait and circulate? Is there enough space & passenger demand for particular amenities?

Design Issues
Additional considerations for stations and terminals:
Are passenger processing elements (e.g., stairs and fare gates) adequately sized? What station element constrains capacity? Emergency evacuation needs

Design Issues
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA requirements affect design Addressed in TCQSM to the extent it impacts the sizing of station elements TCQSM provides input into the design process, but isnt a design manual

Passenger Access
Location Bus Stop Transit Center Bus/Rail Station Intermodal Terminal Walk/Bike

Feeder Bus transfer points

Kiss & Ride

Park & Ride sometimes

Bus Stop Elements

Limited passenger waiting area Shelters and/or benches at higher boarding volume stops Trash receptacle May have printed schedule information Limited other amenities

On-Street Bus Stop Capacity

Short dwell times (no layovers) Use TCQSM bus capacity procedures

On-Street Bus Stop Capacity

Short dwell times (no layovers) Use TCQSM bus capacity procedures

Bus Transit Center Elements

Usually serve as transfer points Multiple bus bays, usually off-street Adjacent park & ride / kiss & ride possible Site landscaping and lighting Passenger plaza with shelters, benches, trash receptacles, telephone, newspaper stand

Bus Transit Center Elements

Longer dwell times (> 3 min)
Buses terminating at transit center or station Buses waiting for transfer connections

Typical practice is to provide a separate bus stop for each route More than one berth might be needed, depending on route frequency and layover/recovery time needs

Passenger Waiting Areas

Passenger Waiting Areas

Sizing passenger waiting areas based on maintaining a desirable level of service Concepts presented in Fruins Pedestrian Planning

& Design

HCM has similar concepts, but intended for sidewalksTCQSMs levels of service are intended for transit facilities Level of service measure: average space per person

Waiting Area LOS

LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E LOS F

>= 13 ft2 per person 10-13 ft2 per person 7-10 ft2 per person 3-7 ft2 per person 2-3 ft2 per person < 2 ft2 per person

Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

General process used for passenger waiting areas is applicable to most station elements, although specifics (e.g., LOS thresholds) will differ
Presentation will only go through process once

1. Pick a design LOS

A function of how long people will be waiting: elevator vs. 15-minute wait on platform LOS C a reasonable design level LOS D a minimum design level

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Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

2. Estimate maximum passenger demand
Also check effects of irregular operations to make sure dangerous levels of crowding can be avoided or controlled

3. Calculate effective waiting area

(number of passengers) * (design space per passenger)

Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

4. Include a buffer
Add a 1.5-ft buffer along platform edges and next to walls Add a 1.0-ft buffer next to other obstructions, including low walls up to 3 feet high

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Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

5. Allow space for passenger circulation

Use walkway procedures (shown later) From stairs/escalators to platform From trains to stairs/escalators Transferring passengers traversing the platform

Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

6. Allow for queue space at platform exits
Passengers may arrive at vertical circulation elements (stairs, escalators, elevators) faster than they can be processed Provide 5 ft2 per person in queue at entrance to stair, etc. Provide clear space at exit

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Sizing Passenger Waiting Areas

7. Account for space used by physical obstructions
Stairwells, escalators Benches, pillars Ad signs

8. Calculate total area needed

Sum areas from steps 3-7

Walkways

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Principles of Pedestrian Flow

Ped speed is related to density
The more pedestrians, the slower the average ped speed

Flow (how many pedestrians can pass by a given point) is the product of speed and density:
V=S*D Units: pedestrians per foot width per minute

Average space per pedestrian is related to speed and flow

M = S / V, units: ft2/ped

Principles of Pedestrian Flow

Most design problems relate to solving for either:
Station element width (e.g., stairway width) Station element area (e.g., platform area)

Result is a station element sized to accommodate a given number of persons per hour, at a design level of service

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Pedestrian Flow on Walkways

30 Pedestrian Flow (p/ft/min) 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2 Pedestrian Space (ft /p) 40 45 50 Commuter uni-directional Commuter bi-directional Shoppers multi-directional

Walkway LOS
LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E LOS F

>= 35 ft2/p, avg. speed 260 ft/min 25-35 ft2/p, avg. speed 250 ft/min 15-25 ft2/p, avg. speed 240 ft/min 10-15 ft2/p, avg. speed 225 ft/min 5-10 ft2/p, avg. speed 150 ft/min < 5 ft2/p, avg. speed <150 ft./min

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Walkway LOS

Walkways
Typical ped speed for design: 250 ft/min Capacity occurs at LOS E/F threshold
Peds walk at a shuffle

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Walkway Design Process

1. Based on desired LOS, identify maximum flow rate per unit width 2. Estimate peak 15-minute demand 3. Allow for wheelchairs, users with large items 4. Compute design ped flow: (Step 2) / 15 5. Effective width = (Step 4 / Step 1) 6. Add buffer width: 1.5 feet on each side

Stairs & Escalators

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Stairway LOS
LOS A Avg. Ped. Space Flow per Unit Width (ft2/p) (m2/p) (p/ft/min) (p/m/min) Description Sufficient area to freely select speed and to 20 1.9 5 16 pass slower-moving pedestrians. Reverse flows cause limited conflicts. 15-20 1.4-1.9 5-7 16-23 Sufficient area to freely select speed with some difficulty in passing slower-moving pedestrians. Reverse flows cause minor conflicts. Speeds slightly restricted due to inability to pass slower-moving pedestrians. Reverse flows cause some conflicts. Speeds restricted due to inability to pass slower-moving pedestrians. Reverse flows cause significant conflicts. Speeds of all pedestrians reduced. Intermittent stoppages likely to occur. Reverse flows cause serious conflicts. Complete breakdown in pedestrian flow with many stoppages. Forward progress dependent on slowest moving pedestrians.

10-15

0.9-1.4

7-10

23-33

7-10

0.7-0.9

10-13

33-43

4-7

0.4-0.7

13-17

43-56

0.4

Variable

Variable

Pedestrian Flow on Stairs

30 Pedestrian Flow (p/ft/min) 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
2

35

40

45

50

Pedestrian Space (ft /p)

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Pedestrian Ascent Speed on Stairs

200 175 Slope Speed (ft/min) 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Pedestrian Space (ft 2/p)

Stairway Capacity Factors

Even minor reverse flows may reduce stairway capacity by as much as one-half Although sizing procedures may suggest a continuum of stairway widths, capacity is really added in one-person-width increments (roughly 30 inches)

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Stairway Design Factors

Most new construction will use escalators as the primary vertical circulation element
Can design to LOS E in this case

Where stairs will be the primary vertical circulation element, design to LOS C to D Emergency evacuation needs may require better LOS (discussed later)

Stairway Design Process

1. Based on desired LOS, identify maximum flow rate per unit width 2. Estimate peak 15-minute demand 3. Compute design ped flow: (Step 2) / 15 4. Required width = (Step 3 / Step 1) 5. If minor, reverse-flow use occurs, add width of one lane (30 inches)

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Escalator Capacity Factors

Angle of incline Stair width Operating speed

Escalator Capacity Factors

Manufacturers often state capacity based on a maximum theoretical capacitytwo people on every stepwhich is never obtained Capacity reduction factors
Intermittent ped arrivals Ped inability to board quickly Peds carrying baggage or packages Ped desire for a more comfortable space

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Escalator Capacity

Nominal capacity values based on one person every other step (single-width), or one person every step (double-width)

Elevators

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Elevator Usage
Vertical circulation within station Deep station access
New York: 168th, 181st, 191st Washington, DC: Forest Glen Portland, OR: Washington Park

When not working, impacts station access for mobility impaired

Elevator Capacity
Calculated similarly to transit vehicles
Car capacity is combination of loading standard (area per passenger) and elevator floor area Time to make round-trip, including loading and unloading passengers

Station access elevators often have doors on both sides for simultaneous loading/unloading

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Moving Walkways

Moving Walkways
Typical speed 100 ft/min, some up to 160 ft/min
Less than typical walking speed

Capacity limited at entrance

Speed not a factor unless it causes persons to hesitate when entering

Similar capacity as escalators

Double-width: about 90 p/min

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Doorways

Doorway Capacity

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Fare Control

Fare Control Capacity

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Ticket Machines

Ticket Machine Capacity

Time per passenger varies widely depending on machine design and complexity of fare system
Least standardized element of transit design

Infrequent passengers require more time Consider impacts of out-of-service machines

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Ticket Machine Examples

Emergency Evacuation

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Emergency Evacuation Design

Must address evacuation requirements (person flow determined from the maximum person accumulation and the maximum time to evacuate station) Ability to remove passengers from platform area before next vehicle arrives Overall passenger flow through station is an important consideration (bottlenecks!)

Emergency Evacuation Design

General considerations
Sufficient exit capacity to evacuate station occupants (including those on trains) from platforms in 4.0 minutes or less, and to reach point of safety in 6.0 minutes or less Sufficient exit capacity to get from most remote point on platform to point of safety in 6.0 minutes or less Second egess route remote from major egress route from each platform

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Emergency Evacuation Design

Number of people to design for:
Loads of one train on each track during peak 15 minutes Assume each train one headway late (i.e., is carrying twice its normal load, but no more than a maximum schedule load)

Passengers on platform during peak 15 minutes, assuming trains are one headway late

Emergency Evacuation Design

Changes to normal design procedure:
NFPA 130 specifies passenger flow rates for specific station elements NFPA 130 specifies minimum widths for egress routes Assume one escalator out of service; escalators cannot provide more than half of exit capacity Elevators cannot be used for exit capacity

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Emergency Evacuation Design

Maximum capacity required for normal operations or emergency evacuation will govern Because emergency evacuation routes may be different than routes taken by passengers during normal operations, you cant assume that evacuation needs will govern in all cases

Platform Sizing Example

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Platform Sizing Example

New underground light rail station Design year conditions:
A.M. exiting volume: 3,200 p/h A.M. entering volume: 500 p/h P.M. exiting volume: 500 p/h P.M. entering volume: 2,900 p/h

Current peak hour factor (PHF) on completed portion of system is 0.714

Platform Sizing Example

Convert hourly volumes to peak 15-min volumes Highest entering volume occurs during p.m. peak:

P15 =

Ph 4( PHF )

P15 =

2,900 = 1,015 p 4(0.714)

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Platform Sizing Example

Two 4-car (300-ft) trains arrive in each direction in each 15-minute period Under normal operating conditions, half of the peak 15-minute demand could be on the platform just before trains arrived
507 passengers

At a design LOS C (7 ft2/p), 507 * 7, or 3,549 ft2 is required to store passengers

Platform Sizing Example

During the peak 15 minutes, approximately 175 passengers will arrive on four trains
Forecast that highest-volume (outbound) trains would bring 61 passengers each Designer estimates that 3/4 of passengers would be on platform at any given time, given proposed locations of station exits From walkway procedure, design LOS C is 15 ft2/p Required space = 61 * 15 * 0.75 = 686 ft2

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Platform Sizing Example

Look at queue storage needs at exit points
Two escalators proposed to be provided Escalator procedure gives capacity of 68 p/min at a typical incline speed of 90 ft/min Escalator capacity of 136 p/min is greater than passenger demand of 61 exiting passengers per outbound trainno queue would develop

Platform Sizing Example

Consider unused platform space
Elevator shafts, stairways, escalators Benches, information displays, advertising displays Pillars

Designer determines 550 ft2 required based on proposed station elements

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Platform Sizing Example

Calculate buffer area required
Platform is 300 feet long to accommodate 4-car trains Provide 1.5-ft buffer next to platform edges Two edges on a center (island) platform 300 * 2 *1.5 = 900 ft2 required Also consider any other walls designed into platform Example assumes buffer space associated with elevators, stairs, escalators was built into the unused-space calculation

Platform Sizing Example

Calculate total area required
Passenger waiting area: 3,549 ft2 Walking area: 686 ft2 Queue storage: 0 ft2 Unused platform space: 550 ft2 Buffer space: 900 ft2

Total area required under normal operations and LOS C conditions: 5,685 ft2

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Platform Sizing Example

Also check:
Emergency evacuation needs and impacts on station element sizing Irregular train operations resulting in more passengers waiting on platform How long a disruption could occur before platform crowding reached uncomfortable or dangerous levels?

See TCQSM Part 7, Example Problem 3

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