GIS-Based Prediction of Metro-Line Impact on Accessibility in Public Transport by Modelling Travel Time: A Case Study of North-Western Zone of Algiers, Algeria

Abstract

In the context of the modernization of Algiers capital, the transport-sector efficiency is one of the actions undertaken to ensure its development. Among the projected means, the metro which enables a better accessibility. Indeed, the objective is to study the impact of the planned metro-line on the accessibility towards the major urban projects recently built in the north-western part of Algiers that has the mostly suffered by the isolation. This study was carried out using GIS and the cumulative opportunity indicator which is focused on travel-time calculation. The measurement of the access quality of the inhabitants to three major urban-projects (destinations) has done according to defined time-thresholds, including all the travel-components of public-transport. Two possible scenarios of different public-transport network were taken in consideration to demonstrate the accessibility changes. The results revealed the positive impact of the planned metro-line in reducing the unequal accessibility to various urban projects, notably the Al-Qods commerce and business centre and medical school, where the population benefiting of an access of less than 30 mins, will increase, respectively, from 30% to 44% and from 12.5% to 30%. However, the Algiers Opera is the least accessible destination, excluding the zones crossed by the metro-line, where only 8.4% of the population who will have access to this equipment at less than 30 mins.