Complex motion induced by elevator choice in peak traffic

•We presented the dynamic model of the two-elevator system to take into account the elevator choice of passengers.•We studied the effect of both preference and fastness on the elevator motion.•We clarified the dependence of elevator motion on both preference and fastness of passengers.

We study the dynamic motion of two elevators by an elevator-choice strategy of passengers. An elevator is correlated with another elevator by the elevator choice. The dynamics of the elevator traffic system is described by a pair of deterministic nonlinear maps. The motion of two elevators is determined by the three parameters: the passenger’s preference, the fraction of fast passengers, and the inflow rate. The dynamics of two elevators depends highly on the elevator-choice strategy. The motion of two elevators displays a complex behavior by a neck-and-neck race between two elevators. We explore the dependence of elevator motion on the passenger’s preference, the fraction of fast passengers, and the inflow rate.