Citation

Braaksma JP. Transp. Res. Rec. 1976; 588: 27-34.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The author has developed a new method for collecting pedestrian traffic flow data in airport terminals. The method was developed for the Airport Facilities Branch of the Canada Ministry of Transport. the problem was to find a better way of conducting terminal surveys. Traditional interview surveys and time and motion studies yield only fragmented bits of information. A total systems approach was required. The method consists of handing a card to each person as he or she enters the terminal either at the gate or at the door. The person is asked to carry the card during his or her stay in the terminal. At various check points the card is time-stamped. When the person leaves the terminal, the card is collected. The result is a complete trace of his or her movements in the terminal. A pilot study to test this technique was conducted at the Winnipeg International Airport on August 1 and 2 1975. The survey was successful: 10-55 cards were carried successfully through the terminal for 2 days, 96 cards were discarded and recovered, and about 150 cards were unaccounted for, which is a 98 percent return. The result is a complete travel pattern for each person. The data are so comprehensive that they will yield volumes, flow rates, occupancies, queuing length, service times, delays, levels of service, velocities, densities, flow patterns, conflicts, processing line balance, space use, and total travel effort.