Case Study: Relationship of Walk Access Distance to Transit with Service, Travel, and Personal Characteristics

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between walk access distance to transit and various characteristics of the transit service and transit users in the city of Toronto, Canada. The data used in this study included individual records of transit trips made in the morning peak period (6–9 a.m.) on a regular week day. The results show that the dense transit route network in the downtown area results in lower walk access distances than in other parts of the city. Also, dwelling type of the household, number of vehicles available in the household, and transit service frequency show a noteworthy relationship with access distance in Toronto. In general, it was found that around 60% of transit users in Toronto live within the transit service area of 300m airline distance assumed by the transit service provider. These results indicate that people in Toronto are willing to walk further to access transit than assumed existing standards for transit service areas.