Using Micro-Simulation in the Restructuring of an Urban Environment in Favor of Walkability

This contribution reports about a micro-simulation project in favour of pedestrians which also keeps an eye on vehicular traffic and public transport services. For this an integrated microsimulation model of the location has been built in which pedestrians, cyclists, motorized individual traffic as well as public transport are simulated together. Pont Kuss in the centre of Strasbourg is an important connection between Strasbourg's main station and its Old City for all modes of traffic of commuters and tourists alike. Recently various issues particularly concerning pedestrians have been identified at and around Pont Kuss. First Strasbourg’s Plan Pieton will briefly be summarized and as a part of it the traffic situation around the central bridge Pont Kuss will be introduced. The safety and convenience issues in pedestrian traffic which have been identified will be discussed. This will be the motivation for the multi-modal microscopic simulation project which assesses measures to improve the situation for pedestrians. The assessment includes both: benefits for pedestrian and potential drawbacks for vehicular traffic. The project resulted in the finding that pedestrians would benefit from modifications of both: street layout as well as signal programming. It will be shown in detail that clearly these benefits for pedestrians go along with some advantages for public transport and are opposed by – if at all – only small drawbacks for vehicular traffic.