Assessment of the Interconnection for Multi-Transfer Facilities: A Perspective from Coupling Coordination

Abstract

Transfer terminals with a high integration level could provide favorable support to Mobility-as-a-Service, which is essential to sustainable transportation. The interconnection of multiple transfer facilities in terminals would affect travelers’ transfer choices during their trips. Existing research on intermodality lacks an efficient multi-dimension indicator system regarding transfer facilities. To date, the selection of representative indicator systems and the construction of quantitative evaluation models based on these indicators that can reflect the coupling relationship between transfer facilities effectively and comprehensively are still challenging. Aiming at this challenge, this study conducts the work in the following three ways. First, the concept of the degree of coupling coordination of multiple transfer facilities (DCC-MTF) is proposed to evaluate the interaction among multiple transfer facilities. Second, indicators of diversity, selectivity, accessibility, and continuity are designed and used to establish the model by using the entropy weight method. Third, the spatial distribution characteristics of DCC-MTF for each transfer facility are geo-visualized and clustered. Field observation is conducted at Lelylaan Station in the city of Amsterdam, and the indicator analysis derived from the collected data is discussed. Overall, the quantitative evaluation model presented in this study, which is universal and can be applied to similar scenarios, is directly valuable for planners and designers who aim to improve the integration level of transfer terminals.