Video-based Pedestrian and Vehicle Traffic Analysis During Football Games

TL;DR

This study uses video analytics to analyze traffic patterns and safety at intersections during football games, revealing increased pedestrian activity and conflicts, and proposing traffic management strategies.

Contribution

It provides new insights into traffic behavior during football games and suggests effective traffic management strategies based on video analysis.

Findings

Pedestrian volume increases significantly during gamedays.

Pedestrian-to-vehicle conflicts rise before games start.

Win probability correlates with pedestrian volumes.

Abstract

This paper utilizes video analytics to study pedestrian and vehicle traffic behavior, focusing on analyzing traffic patterns during football gamedays. The University of Florida (UF) hosts six to seven home football games on Saturdays during the college football season, attracting significant pedestrian activity. Through video analytics, this study provides valuable insights into the impact of these events on traffic volumes and safety at intersections. Comparing pedestrian and vehicle activities on gamedays versus non-gamedays reveals differing patterns. For example, pedestrian volume substantially increases during gamedays, which is positively correlated with the probability of the away team winning. This correlation is likely because fans of the home team enjoy watching difficult games. Win probabilities as an early predictor of pedestrian volumes at intersections can be a tool to help traffic professionals anticipate traffic management needs. Pedestrian-to-vehicle (P2V) conflicts notably increase on gamedays, particularly a few hours before games start. Addressing this, a "Barnes Dance" movement phase within the intersection is recommended. Law enforcement presence during high-activity gamedays can help ensure pedestrian compliance and enhance safety. In contrast, we identified that vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) conflicts generally do not increase on gamedays and may even decrease due to heightened driver caution.