Regional freight accessibility analysis based on truck trajectories—A case study of Hunan Province in China

Abstract

Freight transport is crucial in fostering economic growth and enhancing societal well-being, but it also poses challenges for traffic management and environmental sustainability. For freight planning and policy formulation, it is important to measure and evaluate regional freight accessibility. This paper proposes a novel framework for analyzing regional freight accessibility based on truck trajectory data. The framework is structured around two principal components: extracting freight trip information and constructing a freight accessibility model. It introduces precise and effective methodologies for identifying truck parking zones based on trajectory data, thereby facilitating the extraction of complete freight trip information. Afterward, the framework integrates a distance-weighted topological analysis with multiple relevant indicators to comprehensively assess the freight accessibility of a region. Additionally, it incorporates spatial lag modeling to examine the factors influencing the spatial distribution of freight accessibility within a region. Applied to a case study in Hunan Province, China, the framework demonstrates its efficacy. The analysis reveals that accessibility in Changsha and two other cities stands out significantly higher than in other cities. The study offers valuable insights for strategic freight planning and policy formulation.