Pedestrian Safety in Pilgrim City :

Abstract

Pedestrian management in mass religious gatherings in India, especially in towns like Ujjain, will always be challenging, especially when it comes to large crowds. This thesis explores the critical domain of pedestrian safety in such events and regular days. The will focus on the city of Ujjain, renowned for its religious importance. Depicting this city, this will examine the parameters of pedestrian parameters as presented in the city's dedicated pedestrian sections where physical distancing becomes very crucial when large public gatherings take place. The thesis will scrutinize pedestrian movement patterns, traffic dynamics, pedestrian density, speed, and point capacities of processions to draw conclusions regarding the best way to enhance pedestrian safety in the city and other such pilgrim cities in the country. Ujjain, due to its religious importance, receives heavy pilgrim traffic during festivals and other events. While pilgrims throng to towns and cities to take part in culturally and spiritually significant gatherings, pedestrian flow management and safety issues are immense challenges in this context. An analysis of the complex interaction of pedestrian behavior with infrastructure dynamics is key to risk reduction and improving the pedestrian experience overall. Therefore, this thesis embarks on a comprehensive analysis of pedestrian dynamics within the vicinity of the Ujjain city, specifically focusing on areas that experience heavy footfall during religious and non-religious gatherings. At its core, the study assesses pedestrian movement and Level of Service in these areas, which include pedestrian density, flow rate, and pedestrian speed, and the availability of separate pedestrian space. Estimation of these parameters shall pinpoint potential bottlenecks and congestion points and areas that may lack adequate infrastructure to serve pedestrian traffic to the best of its capacity. Besides, the study looks into the capacity of the procession point, an area that serves as the focal point where crowds gather during religious processions throughout the year and during special months to have an idea of its impact on the whole pedestrian flow and safety. Furthermore, a pedestrian network simulation model in PTV Vissim/Viswalk was established to focus on high footfall points and the Mahakaal corridor. It helps analyze the pedestrian movement patterns during both peak and off-peak periods. This will help in ascertaining the dynamics of the pedestrians and subsequently Pedestrian Safety in Pilgrim City-A case of Ujjain Department of Transport Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal (MP)-462030 v plan the management concerning the same. Interventions proposed towards enhancing pedestrian safety and LOS include the improvement of the infrastructure, encompassing widening of pathways for pedestrians, better signage and wayfinding systems, and the implementation of the crowd management strategies. In this way, the study proposes that these public spaces need to be cultivated to provide sufficient resting spots and facilities for pilgrims. This way, the health and well-being of the pilgrims can be well taken care of during these religious gatherings. Keywords:, Pedestrian Level of Service, Procession Point, Simulation, Safety