Assessment of the level of metropolitan cities transport system development

Abstract

Purpose of the study.The study focuses on issues of the level assessment of transport system development of large cities. Despite the wide variety of studies on this issue, there is currently no universal approach to assessing the level of development of the transport system at megalopolises. The present study aims to create a tool for a comprehensive assessment of various aspects of urban transport development that are important for all categories of transport users, and to provide a comparative analysis of the world’s leading megacities in terms of transport development based on the proposed methodology.Materials and methods.In the study, the authors apply an approach related to the construction of integral indexes and ratings of cities based on the values of these indexes. In the calculations of the index, the authors use statistical data from authoritative open sources and information systems of national and municipal government.Results.Based on the results of the world practice analysis, the authors propose the Urban Transport Development Index developed in order to compare the level of transport system development in various cities. The Index provides an opportunity to identify the weaknesses and strengths of cities, to find reserves for the further improvement and development of recommendations in the field of transport policy on this basis. The Index consists of four sub-indexes: the availability of transport services for the urban population, the quality of transport services, road traffic security and the ecological impact of transport, and freight logistics performance. The Index reflects the main aspects of urban transport development and shows the views of different categories of population on the level of transport services. The paper examines the level of transport system development for 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2017 of a group of comparable cities, which includes Hong Kong, London, Mexico, Moscow, New York, St. Petersburg, Singapore, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai. The results showed that Tokyo and London have occupied the leading positions during the period under review. For the seven years Moscow, St. Petersburg and Shanghai have showed the best dynamics of the Index.Conclusion.The proposed method allows both to evaluate the effectiveness of individual regulatory measures known in the practice of other cities, and to simulate their impact on the transport system of the city. The paper concludes with recommendations for further development of cities’ transport systems.