Simulating Interactions between Pedestrians, Segway Riders and Cyclists in Shared Spaces Using Social Force Model

Segway and other two-wheeled personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) are gaining remarkable popularity as an alternative transport mode in urban environments particularly for short distance trips. The designs of shared sidewalks and implementation policies should be properly evaluated before authorizing PMVs on shared sidewalks, particularly in cities with high pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Properly calibrated microscopic simulation tools can facilitate such purposes. In this study, the applicability of social force model is tested. The findings suggest that, under uncongested situations, the avoidance patterns of Segway riders and cyclists are adequately captured by the calibrated social force model. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.