Exploring an estimation approach for the pedestrian level of service for metro stations based on an interaction index

Studies on crowd characteristics and management strategies are imperative for modern metro stations. Previous studies mainly focused on pedestrian facilities like sidewalks or crossing, while this research aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety performance of metro stations by introducing a new concept, pedestrian level of service (PLOS). The authors divide a station into separate locations in four typical types: exits, stairways, corridors, and open areas. The characteristics of pedestrians in these four types of locations are delineated and a new index called the interaction index (II) is proposed to quantify the performance. By integrating the II values of all single locations, the PLOS of the whole station can be analyzed. To validate this method, field data were collected and compared. Finally, the Caobao Road metro station in Shanghai was used as a case study for the practical application.