DEVELOPMENT OF LEVEL OF SERVICE CRITERIA FOR ESCALATORS (ELOS)

Abstract

An increase in population in urban areas has impacted the travel demand which is increasing day by day. Cities are planning for and providing modern transportation systems or modes like metro rails, Bus Rapid Transportation, and ropeways along with better movement facilities for private and intermediate public transport facilities like MaaS or MoD systems to cater to this demand. Inter-modal transportation is facilitated by constructing stations and terminals. Most of the time these are multi-level (floor) constructions wherein inter-floor movement is facilitated through the provision of stairs, ramps, escalators, and elevators. The pressure of pedestrian flow at specific times or may be during extended periods hoke these facilities. Flow conditions at these facilities need to be studied and examined to plan for modifications or additional provisions. This is usually done by arriving at the Level of Service measures. Level of service (LOS) is a quantitative or qualitative measure of the operational conditions of a facility. It defines how well a facility is working. It can also define the satisfaction level of the users. Works on LOS of pedestrian facilities like sidewalks, walkways, stairways, and crosswalks are reported widely in the literature but on level change facilities especially escalators, very few works are available. Escalators provide a faster movement of pedestrians between floor levels, and this makes them a preferred choice in all public buildings. Considering the above, the objective of this study is to define the criteria for the LOS of the escalator system. For the fulfilment of the objective, the data are collected at six selected metro stations in Delhi i.e., Rajiv chowk metro station, Mandi House metro station, Janakpuri West Metro Station, Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin metro station, Dilli Haat-INA metro station, and Haus Khas metro station. The escalators are selected on the respective stations based on flow conditions and their locations. The permission for data collection is taken from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The data are collected with the help of videography during peak and off-peak hours to strongly examine the flow conditions at various metro stations.