The pedestrian micro-simulation applied to the river Neretva: The case study of the Mostar "old bridge"

Walking is classified as the oldest transport mode with the least impact on the environment. It is often one of the intermediate transport modes. Generally, when designing only pedestrian transit areas or structures with high pedestrian traffic volumes and with different scenarios, it is advantageous to be able to foresee the congestion conditions and the problems connected to it. The study of the itineraries and characteristics of pedestrians is often necessary and preparatory for the purposes of an in-depth analysis also on the habits of populations and cultures. Often areas trafficked by tourist flows, of limited size such as bridges, must be studied in advance for emergencies. This article focuses on the study of pedestrian flow, which mainly takes place for tourist purposes, on the pedestrian bridge of Mostar. This analysis was carried out initially by acquiring pedestrian flows and related behaviours through video cameras and then analyzing how they alternate on holidays and weekdays or during the seasons raising the flows. Also, the possible presence of obstacles on the bridge was taken into accounts, such as some areas not feasible for temporary work or the presence of obstacles. These scenarios have been validated through the definition of O / D matrices and arcs and nodes (and also areas) through the Viswalk simulation tool, specifically for pedestrian micro-simulation. This comparison is useful for understanding the variation of LOS (Level Of Service) during normal or emergency situations and the results can provide help to local Authorities to plan and design an appropriate action plan. Therefore, this research work aims to compare scenarios under critical flow conditions in the order to define preventively possible actions that can guarantee an optimal LOS value during the bridge crossing and the surrounding areas.